


Dust & Gold

by starkidmack



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Barry Allen, M/M, The Rogues (DCU) As Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2019-10-10 13:43:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 52,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17426987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkidmack/pseuds/starkidmack
Summary: Eddie Thawne is an eager young cop, and he's got his sights set on bringing in every metahuman criminal in Central City. The top of his list? The Flash.*Dark!Flash S1 canon-divergent AU, eventual Thallen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I spent over 2.5 years writing this fic and it's FINALLY ready to share with the world! HUGE THANKS TO ABBY (saralancelot) who helped create the AU that eventually turned into this fic and has been such an amazing beta, CHARLIE (tinyelfperson) who is pretty much always down to be an extra set of eyes to my shameless shipping garbage, AND IVY (lancesmiles) who offered to help a complete stranger with their passion project! Check them all out on tumblr and share the love! Enjoy!!!

Harold Gunderson hates his life. Especially now, as he lays on the ground immobile and gagged. He can't help but wonder what would have happened if he took the security job at the mall instead of here at Mercury Labs. The hours were longer and the pay was smaller, but it would have been a day shift. 

And there would have been a much smaller chance of being present during a metahuman robbery.

Unable to move, Harold whimpers around the gag, glancing over to see a pair of feet clad in dark red boots walking towards him.

In an instant, Harold is hoisted up and is face-to-face with the assailant, a young man with gold streaks in his dark hair, wearing a domino mask and a costume made of the same dark red leather as his boots. A gold cuff adorns one ear and a gold industrial bar and several small piercings line the other. Gold makeup covers his eyes and trails down his cheek in an intricate pattern, and gloves in the same red as the rest of his outfit cover the hands that are currently gripping Harold's shirt.

It looks ridiculous, if you ask Harold.

"Now, Harold," the man says with a smirk, and it somehow sounds like there are a dozen of him. "I need you to be patient. The paralyzing agent I injected you with will completely wear off within the next half hour and you can go about your life. But if you keep making noise I'm going to have to knock you out, and neither of us want that do we?” Harold's eyes go wide and the man smiles and pats Harold’s cheek. "Good. Now sit tight please."

The man sits Harold down again, leaning him against the wall this time, and he's gone in a flash of lightning. Harold whimpers, looking around desperately for anything he can use to help his situation, but he realizes it’s useless. He’s still immobile and the man—no, meta—can appear in an instant. He did not sign up for this shit.

Just as Harold begins to contemplate the benefits of moving far, far away from Central City, a police siren sounds. Red and blue lights flicker through the building, reflecting off the snow outside. The meta comes out again and sighs when he sees the lights, then looks at the security guard and clicks his tongue. "No good, Harold," he says. "Guess I'll just have to try again later." He smiles and winks at the man then zips away just as a couple cops come barging in, one teasing the other for having “just missed the Flash again, Thawne.”

Several miles away, unperturbed by the cold December air, the Flash smirks as he watches the hacked Mercury Labs security feed on a stolen tablet. He finally has a name to put with the face of the detective that’s been hunting him.

***

Detective Eddie Thawne sighs as he slumps into the chair at his desk that night, and his partner chuckles as he walks by. “Don't laugh at me Joe," Eddie says. "I feel bad enough without that."

Joe smirks and drops into his own chair. "I'm not laughing at you, kid," he says. "I'm just remembering you a couple weeks ago, all gung-ho about bringing in, how'd you say it, 'each and every meta criminal in the city'."

"It's not my fault!" Eddie complains. "The guy is literally impossible to catch! Unless you missed the part where he has super speed?"

Joe smirks and shrugs. "Well, the guard said he mentioned 'trying again' so we'll be ready for him the next time he tries to break in." 

“I just don’t get it,” Eddie says with a frown. “This guy has been hitting banks and armored trucks for the last few months. Why switch to a lab like this? What’s so valuable there?”

Joe just comes over, patting Eddie's shoulder. “You’re thinking too hard. Why don't you take off? I'll take care of the report,” he says

"You sure?" Eddie asks. "I don't mind doing paperwork."

"Positive," replies Joe. "You need a break. Get a good night's sleep and we'll tackle this again tomorrow, alright?"

Eddie gives a small smile and stands, grabbing his coat. "Thanks Joe," he says. "I'll uh, see you tomorrow."

Joe waves him off and Eddie heads out, stepping into the crisp night. He shivers and shoves his hands into his pockets, thinking to himself that he really should invest in a new pair of gloves. He makes his way towards the parking garage and is nearly to his car when a whirlwind of lightning surrounds him. With a gasp, Eddie makes to reach for his sidearm when the lightning stops and the Flash appears, dangling the gun with a smirk, his face somehow blurred at the edges.

“Detective Eddie Thawne,” The Flash drawls, walking forward slowly. His smirk is lazy and dangerous. “I’m gonna hold onto this for a minute. But it’s okay, you won’t need it. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Eddie frowns, folding his arms in front of himself and squaring up to the meta despite the sinking feeling in his gut. He's seen first hand the kind of trouble a meta can cause. The Flash may have had a history as a petty thief and general mischief maker, but who knows what he could be capable of? “What are you going to do to me then?” Eddie asks, breath fanning out in front of him. “Why are you here? How do you even know my name?”

Eddie's eyes dart to the entrance of the parking garage for a brief second and the Flash must register it because he smiles and in the blink of an eye, the meta is standing mere inches in front of Eddie, face no longer blurred. “You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” he asks in a soft voice. “Well, I have my resources. I’m here to give you a warning. Stay out of my way, Detective.”

Eddie looks between the eyes staring back at him and swallows hard. "I can't do that," he says, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt. "Not when you've been terrorizing the city."

"Stay away," the Flash warns again. "Or else."

“Or else what?” Eddie challenges.

The Flash just smirks again and reaches out to smooth a hand over Eddie's tie, and Eddie tenses. The Flash leans in, lips pressed right to Eddie's ear. "You don't want to know what I'm capable of," he mumbles. He nips at Eddie’s ear and Eddie shivers again, and he hates that it's not from the chill in the air. "If I don't get what I'm after because of you,” the Flash continues, "you're going to be sorry."

In an instant, the Flash is gone. Eddie's gun is back in his holster and his tie blown back over his shoulder, leaving Eddie wondering what the hell just happened.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not what it looks like. Probably.

When Eddie walks into the office the next day, he doesn’t immediately notice the stares or whispers coming from his coworkers. At least not until Singh motions to him. _Great._ Eddie trudges towards the Captain’s office, unraveling his scarf. He’s halfway convinced that he’s about to be fired by the time he’s sitting in front of Singh’s desk, door closed behind him.

“You know why I wanted to see you?” Singh asks, and Eddie shakes his head. Singh sighs and turns his computer monitor around. It takes Eddie a moment but he realizes pretty quickly that he’s looking at grainy security footage of the parking garage, and that the timestamp reads from the previous night.

“Sir, I can exp—“

“Save it, just watch,” Singh interjects, gesturing to the screen. Eddie frowns but complies, and soon enough sees himself on screen, joined by the Flash a minute later. Eddie can’t hear the conversation but he knows what it must look like to the Captain, or to anyone else who saw it. It’s intimate, uncomfortably so. The Flash had been so flirty that Eddie feels his own cheeks heating with a blush as he watches.

When the playback finishes, Singh turns his monitor around again and looks at Eddie. “Anything you want to tell me about the Flash, Thawne?” he asks, sounding somewhat exasperated.

Eddie shakes his head. “It's not what it looks like, sir. He… threatened me, vaguely. But that’s it.”

“Care to elaborate on this vague threat?” Singh asks as he sits. “Because to me, it looked like the meta at the top of our most wanted list was flirting with you. Pretty blatantly.”

Eddie blushes. “Sir, it wasn’t like that,” he protests. “I promise. He just told me I’d be sorry if I got in his way.”

Singh sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay,” he mumbles. “Do I need to put a detail on you?”

Eddie shakes his head and stands. “No sir,” he says. "There’s no need to overreact. I can handle myself, and he hasn’t attacked me. Yet. Besides, we’ve seen what he can do. What are a couple of plain ol’ human cops going to do if his threats become… less vague?”

Singh is silent for a moment, contemplating Eddie before nodding reluctantly.“I don’t like it,” he says. “Not at all. But I’m choosing to trust your judgement as a cop and as the lead of the task force. And so help me, if you have any more contact with him, you’ll have a detail on you until you retire. Understood?”

Eddie nods and Singh looks back down to the paperwork on his desk. “Good. Now get out,” he mumbles.

"Thank you sir," Eddie mumbles, walking back out of the office before the Captain can change his mind. He notices the stares and the whispers now and wonders just how many people saw that security footage when he sees Joe and Patty, another member of the Meta-Human Task Force, wearing matching grins. "Oh god, not guys you too," Eddie groans, dropping into his chair.

"C'mon, kid. You know I have to give you trouble for this," Joe teases. "Is this why you wanted to find the Flash so bad?"

"Shut up," Eddie replies, trying to ignore the way his face heats up.

Patty smirks. "I don't blame you. That whole bad boy thing and the red leather is a nice combination."

"Hey, Patty, didn't you have a date last night?" Eddie says in an attempt to change the subject. "How did that go? I'm sure Joe would love to hear all about it." Patty clams up and her eyes go wide, and Eddie smirks. "Let's just--"

“West, Spivot, Thawne!" Singh calls, and Eddie sighs again. He'd already spoken to Singh once today and getting called into the Captain’s office more than once in the same day — hell, in the same fifteen minutes — is almost always bad news.

They make their way over to the Captain’s office and Singh closes the door behind them. “There was a homicide last night,” he says somberly. “I need you guys to check it out.”

“Sir, all due respect, but you took us off homicide,” Joe says. “Specifically for this Meta-Human thing. Thawne’s thing with the Flash shouldn’t change that.”

Eddie frowns at Joe but glances at the Captain. “I don’t have a thing with the Flash,” he grumbles, “and Joe’s right. We don’t work homicides anymore.”

“You’re working this one,” Singh replies. He picks up a file folder and hands it to Joe. “The security guard at Mercury Labs was found earlier this morning. Coroner puts time of death at around 2 AM.”

Patty frowns and looks over Joe’s shoulder at the file. “Cause of death?” she asks as Joe thumbs through it.

“His neck was snapped,” Singh replies. “He suffered from internal decapitation, and the coroner says it happened at such a high velocity that no human would be able to do it.”

“So you’re saying a meta did this,” Eddie says, taking some of the crime scene photos from Joe.

“I’m saying a meta with super speed did this,” Singh replies.

Eddie snaps his head up. “Do you really think the Flash had anything to do with this?" He asks unsurely incredulously. "It’s not his MO, Captain. Sure, he’s a pain in the ass, but he’s not a murderer.., right?.”

“We’ve seen people do worse for less,” Joe points out. “I don’t think it’s impossible.’

“But a sudden shift from bank heists to cold-blooded murder?” 

Patty scoffs. “It wouldn’t be the first time,” she says bitterly. “What about Leonard Snart? Or the Mardons?”

Eddie looks through the photos again. He can admit he’d been scared by the Flash’s appearance the night before, but to actually see proof he could be capable of such a horrendous crime chills Eddie to the bone.

Sing sighs and rubs his temple. “Harold Gunderson was found dead inside Mercury Labs last night shortly after being discharged from the hospital. This was the same night the Flash ransacked Mercury and told this very man he’d ‘try again’. The same night he threatened you, Thawne. The security feed at Mercury around the time Gunderson was murdered shows a bright flash and a gust of wind before the visual is cut.” Singh leans against the edge of his desk and looks between Joe, Eddie, and Patty. "Just... Look into it," he says. "If it's not the Flash, we have another meta with super speed trying really hard to frame him, and we need to know why."

The three detectives exchange a glance then nod. "Yes sir," Joe says. "We're on it."

"Good," Singh replies. "And let's try to keep this quiet, huh? Last thing we want is to cause a panic."

Eddie frowns again but nods, and they're dismissed back to the squad room. “Patty, me and Joe will go,” he says, looking at the woman as they walk out. “I need you to stay and look through all of the Flash’s cases, see if you can find anything that sounds even remotely like this.”

“Why?” Patty asks, taking the file on the previous evening's murder. “What am I trying to find?”

“Proof he didn’t do this,” Eddie says.

As he and Joe walk out of the building, Eddie sighs. He has a gut feeling that the Flash isn't a murderer, but after their last interaction, Eddie isn't sure what to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try to keep shorter chapters like this to drag it out a bit longer, but I'm not sure I have an average word count in mind yet. Let me know what you think! There's a LOT of story to be told ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An investigation, and a plan

Joe and Eddie do a full sweep of the building but they don't find anything new from the night before, besides the body of Harold Gunderson propped up against the security desk currently being examined by CSU. There’s broken glass by a rear exit, the empty syringe used for the paralyzing agent, and various debris strewn about from the Flash taking off, and each is marked by a little yellow placard. There isn’t one fingerprint, one blood drop, one stray hair that could implicate the Flash in the murder. Or exonerate him, Eddie thinks briefly.

Eddie feels like yelling, at least until a forensics tech comes up to them. "Um, detectives? I think we found something," she says.

Eddie looks at the woman and raises an eyebrow. "What have you got?" He asks.

"Mercury's servers are equipped with a security feature that essentially acts as a black box," she says. She hands a tablet to Eddie, Joe looking over his shoulder. "It was wiped via some sort of virus the Flash must have embedded, however we've managed to recover some of the data from the most recent archive search. The time stamp is from the first time he was here last night."

Eddie swipes through the data and frowns as he reads the results. "What are tachyons?" He asks, looking back up at the tech.

Joe takes the tablet to look over the results himself, and the tech shrugs. "I think it has something to do with the speed of light," she replies. 

"You're close," comes a voice. They all three look up and see an older woman in a white lab coat walking towards them. "Tachyons are hypothetical particles that move faster than the speed of light. Mercury Labs has been at the forefront of the research into tachyonic processes, especially with regards to quantum physics."

Joe raises an eyebrow and hands the tablet back to the tech. "Who are you?" He asks. "This is a closed crime scene."

"It's my lab," the woman replies. “I’m Doctor Tina McGee. I'm the head of Mercury Labs, and I think I can offer some insight into what the Flash was after. Come with me." The tech excuses herself as Dr. McGee leads the detectives down a hallway. "After the emergence of meta-humans, we began taking our own precautionary measures," she says. "Harrison Wells' team may have designed holding cells for you, but we've designed tools to more effectively counteract the effects of certain... Abilities."

She stops at a door and swipes a card, then leads the detectives inside. The room is lined with glass cases holding various devices. "What does this have to do with the Flash?" Eddie asks, looking around. "Or tachyons for that matter?"

Dr. McGee stops in front of an empty glass case and looks over at Eddie and Joe. "This is where we kept our Tachyon Prototype," she says. "It was designed to be able to absorb speed."

"And where is it now?" Joe asks.

"It went missing last night," Dr. McGee replies. "Presumably around the same time Harold was murdered."

"This wasn't in the initial report," Joe notes. "And why would the Flash, or another fast meta, want a device that takes speed? Seems counter-productive."

The doctor sighs and shakes her head. "If it fell into the right hands, or the wrong ones I suppose, it could be reconfigured to do the opposite," she replies. "It could be used to increase speed. And if it got out that we had a device like that..."

Eddie shakes his head. "Well it did get out," he says, accusation lacing his voice. "And an innocent man is dead because of it."

Dr. McGee frowns. "I know, and I have to live with that," she says. "But I don't even know if the theft is related. The Flash wasn't the only person interested in the device." She wrings her hands together and sighs again. "You need to talk to Harrison Wells.”

“Wells? What does he have to do with this?” Joe asks.

Dr. McGee looks over at Joe and Eddie. “I’ve known Harrison Wells for most of our adult lives. He’s a good man. Brilliant. But he was in a car accident some years ago that killed his wife and left him…. different.”

“An accident like that would change anyone,” Eddie points out.

“Not like this. This wasn’t trauma, detectives. It was… He became an entirely different person. He’s tried to steal or sabotage my work several times over the years and now…” Dr. McGee shakes her head. “He knows something about this. He has to.”

***

Eddie and Joe take their leave a few minutes later and decide to take Dr. McGee’s advice. They stop at STAR Labs to speak with Harrison Wells, with little success.

“Are you sure we can’t arrest him for being an asshole?” Eddie mumbles as they walk out of the second laboratory of the day . They’d headed over after they finished at Mercury, but as soon as they asked Harrison about the Tachyon Prototype, he claimed to know nothing and demanded they leave.

Joe chuckles and pats his partner’s shoulder as they head towards the car. “Positive,” he says. “Trust me though, I want to.”

“That was at least suspicious, right?” Eddie asks. “Or was that just me?”

“No, that was definitely fishy,” Joe replies. “But we have no proof. I think a guy in a wheelchair breaking into and out of a secure facility like Mercury would draw some attention."

Eddie sighs and nods. “Yeah, I know,” he replies dejectedly as they get into the car. “You think maybe one of his employees had something to do with it? Ramón or Snow?”

Joe shakes his head. “I don’t think so,” he replies. “They seemed genuinely confused about the whole thing. We’ll keep an eye on them though.”

Eddie nods and he remains silent for a while as they drive back to the station. He texts Patty to see if she found anything, but she replies that her search turned up empty. Nothing in the Flash’s record suggested he might commit murder. 

Eddie slips his phone back into his pocket and looks at Joe. “The Flash didn’t do this,” he says. “Patty didn’t find anything to suggest he did and I mean, stealing the Tachyon Prototype isn’t outside the realm of possibility for him, but homicide?”

Joe frowns. “I know,” he replies, “but we have no proof of another fast meta and a lot of evidence is pointing at the Flash.”

“Then maybe someone is going to a lot of trouble to frame him,” Eddie says. “I think we need to try setting another trap for him.”

Joe sighs and glances over at Eddie briefly. “You remember how that worked last time?” he asks. "Because I do. And I'd rather not face the humiliation of being left pantsless and tied to each other in the middle of the street again."

Eddie shrugs. “So we’ll be prepared this time,” he says. “We’ll force him to come to us. I mean, after what happened last night I bet I could..."

"What, don’t tell me you wanna put yourself in his path again?" Joe replies. "No way, Thawne. The Flash is dangerous. Not gonna happen.”

“He came to me once without hurting me,” Eddie points out. “I think I can get him to talk. Maybe he knows who’s setting him up.”

Joe scoffs. “We need to do better than ‘I think’ and ‘maybe’,” he counters.

Eddie frowns. “You have any other ideas?” he asks. “I’m open to them.” He looks out the window for a moment then back over to his partner. “There’s something… big happening here, Joe. I can feel it. And we have to figure out what it is.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No really. It's NOT what it looks like.

It takes a while for Singh to come around to the idea but he finally does and three days later, the Meta-Human Task Force is set up just outside Gold City Bank. They’d put the word out that some very high-valued items were being moved into the vault, hoping that this would provide a tempting bait for the Flash. 

Eddie stations himself inside, out of sight of any windows or doors. The rest of the team sets up in an unmarked van across the street, watching footage of the inside of the bank from small monitors. Then they wait. And wait. And wait. 

Hours later, just when Patty starts to mention the date she had to blow off -- for the third time that evening -- a bright streak zips by the van and into the bank. "Thawne, he's here," Joe says into the mic. "Stay alert."

Eddie pushes himself off from the wall he'd been leaning against just as a streak of lightning bursts in and whooshes past. He steps out to the main lobby area and watches the Flash race around for a moment before the meta finally stops in front of Eddie with a smirk.

"Detective Thawne," the Flash drawls, stepping closer to Eddie. "I think this is the opposite of staying away."

Eddie smiles and shrugs then shoves his hands into his pockets, hoping the Flash can’t see them trembling. "What can I say, you intrigue me," he replies.

The Flash just chuckles. "And that's why the rest of your team is out in that creep van?" he teases. Eddie's eyes go wide and the Flash grins. "Come on, Thawne, this isn't my first rodeo," he says. "I can spot an undercover van a mile away."

"Why'd you come then?" Eddie asks. He grips the handcuffs hidden in his pocket, waiting for just the right time to spring into action.

The Flash smirks again. "What can I say, you intrigue me," he quips. 

Eddie rolls his eyes and his lips quirk up in a half smile despite himself. "Cute," he deadpans.

"I try," the Flash replies, a wide grin spreading across his face.

From his earpiece, Eddie hears someone clear their throat and he blushes, having momentarily forgotten he was wearing a mic. He sighs and watches the meta in front of him for a moment before finally speaking up. "Listen," he says softly, "this little game you're playing? It has to stop." The Flash huffs out a chuckle and Eddie narrows his eyes. "I'm being serious," he says. "On top of burglary and larceny charges, now you're facing murder. If you just come--"

Eddie is cut off when he's shoved against a handrail on the other side of the lobby in an instant, the Flash's hand around his throat, keeping him in place. His fingers flex around Eddie’s throat as a warning, but they never tighten. "I'm not a murderer," the Flash says, voice dangerously low, all traces of humor gone.

Eddie frowns. "Then explain how the security guard at Mercury was found, with his neck snapped, the night you tried to hack into their system," he says as he casts his eyes down towards the meta's hand. "And the same night the Tachyon Prototype went missing."

The Flash furrows his brow, shakes his head, and drops his hand. "It wasn't me," he says. "I didn't kill that man, and I didn't steal the tachyon thing. I didn't even know what a tachyon was until that night.” His eyes go a little distant, “It was the Man in Yellow, it has to be him."

“If there’s another speeding meta, help me prove it," Eddie pleads. "Come with me to the station, tell us what you know about him."

"I've tried that," the Flash snaps. "Nobody listens. Nobody ever listens. My only choice is to find him myself and make everyone listen."

Eddie frowns. "I didn't want to have to do this," he says truthfully before pulling out the cuffs and quickly fastening one end to the hand the Flash had nearly choked him with. He secures the other end to the handrail behind them. "You're under arrest," he says firmly, “for conspiracy to commit theft and assaulting a police officer. You have the right to remain silent.”

The Flash looks almost surprised before he smirks. He lets Eddie finish reading him his rights and even call for backup before saying anything. “I have to give it to you Thawne, you're good with your hands,” he teases. “Tell me, does seeing me in handcuffs do it for you?”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he retorts. “You’re not my type.”

“Is it the dick thing?” The Flash drawls, a smirk drawing across his face again. "Because no offense, but you don't strike me as the tragically straight type. And even if you were, I could--”

“No, actually, it’s the criminal thing,” Eddie snarks without thinking, and in the next instant realizes what an overshare that was. A blush tints his cheeks and he wonders vaguely if somewhere in his old academy handbook there’s a chapter about not basically outing yourself to the super-powered criminal that’s been hitting on you, because he apparently must have skipped it.

The meta in front of him laughs. “Shut up!” the Flash exclaims. “So you’re actually—“

“Not. Interested.” Eddie glances over his shoulder, wondering where his backup is. “Just… Stop talking, please.”

The Flash just laughs again. “There’s only one sure-fire way to get me to shut up,” he says. Before Eddie can even register what’s happening, the Flash tugs Eddie in by the tie and kisses him hard.

Eddie kisses back for just a split second before pulling away with a gasp, staring at the meta in shock. The Flash watches Eddie carefully, a small smirk playing at his lips, and Eddie almost recoils from the intensity behind his eyes, his brain still trying to catch up.

The Flash, still holding Eddie's tie, leans in ever so slowly, flicks his eyes to Eddie's lips with another smirk, and Eddie almost gives in. But the sound of the side door opening pulls him out of it. “Nope! No! No way!” he exclaims, backing up and wiping his hand over his mouth. “Are you ins—“

“Thawne!” Joe comes running over, gun drawn, Patty following right behind. “You okay? Backup’s on the way.”

Eddie casts one more glance to the Flash. “I’m fine,” he says, turning to look at Joe. “Took you guys long enough.”

Joe sighs. “Yeah, well, someone thought it would be fun to barricade the doors to our van. So.” He looks over Eddie’s shoulder and eyes the Flash with disdain. “He give you anything?” he asks, looking back to Eddie.

“Hello to you too, Detective West,” The Flash says, and suddenly his voice has turned to pure venom. Eddie glances over at the meta with a frown. For a split second, the absolute hatred in the Flash’s voice makes Eddie almost... afraid of what he could do. “I gave your partner here everything he wanted," the meta continues. "Now while this has been fun, I have plans tonight and they don't involve hanging out with you." He glares daggers at Joe then looks at Eddie. "See you around, Thawne," he quips. 

It's hard to tell under the mask, but Eddie is almost certain the smug bastard winks at him.

Before Eddie can even process what's happening, the Flash starts vibrating his hand and moves it through the cuff - then disappears in a whirlwind of bright light. Papers from the nearby desks fly everywhere and flutter to the ground as the handcuffs dangle uselessly, and the detectivesall look at each other in stunned silence.

"What the hell was that?" Joe mutters.

Eddie isn't sure if Joe means the sudden attitude change or the disappearing trick - or the other thing - but either way... "I have no idea."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It might be exactly what it looks like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I am so sorry for missing my regular update on Tuesday! To make up for it, here's an extra long chapter, (and moving forward I think they'll start to be this long)! Please be sure to leave a Kudos and/or a comment if you've got the time - it feeds the author ;) And if you want to check me out on other social media, you can find me @ Starkidmack on Tumblr and Twitter.
> 
> Enjoy!

The next morning, Eddie gets to the station and sits in his car for at least ten minutes, contemplating just quitting the force altogether, when someone thumps at his window. He looks up to see Patty with a chipper smile and two coffees in hand and he sighs before finally getting out. "Morning, Spivot," he mumbles.

"Morning, Eddie," she says, sounding just as cheery as she looks. She holds out one of the cups of coffee and smiles again. "Here, thought you could use this after last night," she says.

Eddie takes the coffee carefully, the warmth a welcome sensation in his already-cold fingers. "Last night?" He asks suspiciously. She doesn't know, does she?

"Y'know, the whole losing the Flash again thing," she replies. "And the uh, low-key implying you're not totally straight thing." She shrugs some and sips from her own cup. "Anyway. Thought you could use a pick-me-up."

Eddie sighs in relief when he realizes she must not know about the kiss after all. "Thanks," he mumbles, taking a sip as they head inside. "So you uh, you guys caught that, huh?"

Patty nods. "Yup. At least I did," she says. "Not sure about Joe, a lot of the little stuff goes over his head. But it's not like it's a big deal or anything. Captain Singh's gay too. And, y'know..." She gestures to herself and smiles.

"I'm not gay," Eddie mumbles, sipping his coffee again. “You know that. You and I wouldn’t have gone out otherwise."

"Bi like me then, or pansexual or whatever," Patty says, waving her hand. "Totally not a big deal. And I definitely don't blame you for being into the Flash. He's so--"

"He's a thief," Eddie says stiffly. "And potentially a murderer. And aren't you seeing someone?"

"I can still appreciate a good looking human," Patty says. "And you didn't deny being into him." Eddie ignores her as they step into the elevator and she smirks. "Anyway, all I'm trying to say is you don't have to beat yourself up over your little confession," she says. "I'm not gonna tell anyone, but nobody here really cares about that stuff anyway."

Eddie gives a small smile and nods. "Thanks," he says. "But that's honestly the least of my problems right now."

Patty quirks a brow. "What do you me--"

Her question is cut off when the elevator dings and the door slides open. It feels like every pair of eyes in the room is laser-focused on them as they step out. 

No, not them. _Him_.

"Thawne, Spivot, Cap wants to see you in his office," the desk sergeant says as they walk by. "And I'd bring ear plugs. He’s already been laying into West for the last five minutes.”

Eddie goes pale. He swallows hard and nods, trying to focus on just putting one foot in front of the other. "Yeah, we'll get right on it," he says weakly. He glances to Patty who gives him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before walking ahead of him into the office.

The walk from the squad room entrance to Captain Singh's office, though mere feet, feels like miles to Eddie. Like he's walking into his own execution, which is likely. If Singh isn't going to just take his badge right then and there, Eddie knows that he's at least getting tossed from the Meta-Human Task Force. He'll probably get put on desk duty, or be transferred to a new department, or one of a hundred possibilities that seem to race through his head at the same time. 

When he finally steps into Singh's office, the captain shuts the door and gestures to an empty chair next to Joe and Patty, who Eddie avoids eye contact with as he sits. "Tell me what happened last night," Singh says steadily as he leans against his desk, his voice low. His demeanor reminds Eddie of the calm just before a storm hits.

Patty and Joe start talking over each other but Eddie remains silent, and Singh notices. "West, Spivot, not you," he interjects. "Thawne. Tell me what happened."

Eddie swallows hard again and nods. "Yes sir," he mumbles. "We uh... The Flash got away. He can apparently phase through solid objects. Including handcuffs. It’s… new.”

"Is that all?" Singh asks, folding his arms across his chest. "Before you answer, know that I've gone over all the video and audio from last night."

"It's not what it looks like," Eddie blurts out.

Singh raises his eyebrow and watches Eddie. "See Thawne, you told me that before and I believed you. But the footage from last night tells me that it's exactly what it looks like."

"What else is there?" Joe asks. "Eddie's not at fault here, Cap. Nobody knew the Flash was capable of phasing through solid metal."

Instead of answering, the captain turns his computer monitor around and presses a key on his keyboard that starts the footage playing from when the Flash first showed up. 

Eddie wants to melt into the floor when he hears himself flirting with the meta, and again when he hears the words "It's the criminal thing." When the Flash pulls him in for a kiss, Eddie is pretty sure he's about to explode. The last thing he needs right now is to think about the Flash's lips on his. He forces himself to watch the video though, and realizes with horror that it wasn't just a split second before he pulled away. For at least three seconds, the video definitely shows him leaning into the kiss before backing up.

“Oh Christ…” Eddie mumbles under his breath, scrubbing his hand over his face. He tries his best to look at anything but Joe and Patty's faces. “Like I said, it’s not—“

“I know, it’s not what it looks like,” Singh says in exasperation. “Just… keep watching.” He gestures to the screen and Eddie begrudgingly turns his attention back in time to see the meta speeding off. The feed cuts out and a moment later, another video appears. It shows the Flash standing outside the bank. He gives a wink then blows a kiss to the camera before speeding off, then the screen cuts to black. Singh looks back up at Eddie with narrowed eyes. “Now how isn’t that what it looked like?” he asks.

Eddie chances a look at his colleagues. Patty’s jaw is hanging open and her eyes are wide, and Joe has a similar expression. With a frown, Eddie looks back to Singh. “Sir… I’m not—I didn’t—“ He sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “He… _he_ kissed _me_ , sir. And I—I didn’t want him to, and I tried to stop him and he’s just such a pain in the ass, sir and he’s just trying to distract us from whatever it is he’s planning and he—“

Eddie’s rambling is cut off when Singh starts laughing. Eddie scowls and crosses his arms like a petulant child. Singh laughs harder. “Joe, Patty….” he manages between breaths. “Give us… give us the room!” 

Joe and Patty, who still look to be in shock, both make their way out of the office and Singh sinks down into his desk chair. His laughter finally subsides and he wipes the corner of his eye. “God, how do you fuck up this badly, Thawne?” he asks in amusement.

“Sir, I—what?” Eddie stammers. He watches the captain in bewilderment. “With all due respect sir, I—“

“Fucked up, pretty big,” Singh interjects with a smile. “You got personal, Thawne. You never get personal. Especially not with guys like these.”

"I'm not the one that made it personal!" Eddie argues.

Singh raises an eyebrow again and smirks. "You flirted with him, gave him personal information about yourself, and... Oh yeah! Kissed him! Seems pretty damn personal to me." Eddie frowns and looks away and Singh sighs. "Listen," he says. "The only reason you're not being sent to Internal Affairs and recommended for suspension right now is because honestly, this is kind of hilarious. You can't seem to catch a break with this guy. Maybe for now you should just… take a break. Work another meta case for a while. Let Joe take the lead on the Flash."

Eddie frowns again but nods. "Yes sir," he mumbles.

"Okay. Get out of here," Singh says, nodding to the door. Eddie gets up to leave but before he reaches the door, Singh stops him again. "Wait, Thawne, before you go..." he says. "This can be a tough field for... Guys like us. But there are a lot of good people here who are in your corner. Don't forget that."

Eddie gives the captain a small smile and nods. "Thank you sir," he says, then hurries out.

He can practically feel everyone's eyes on him as he makes his way towards his desk and he tries his best to ignore them. What he can't ignore though is that Joe and Patty are leaning against his desk, staring at him expectantly. "Come on guys, I don't want to talk about it," he says, reaching around Joe to set his now-cold coffee down.

"So what's the deal?" Joe asks. “Did he—”

“I’m fine, I'm fine," Eddie says. "Cap wants you to take the lead on the Flash thing, and I think that's for the best too." He shoos them away from his desk so he can sit, but they hover. "Guys, seriously, drop it. I'm fine."

They frown, but Joe nods and goes around to sit at his own desk. Patty lingers nearby and Eddie knows she's dying to say something, but he pushes her from his mind as he starts on his stack of reports. After a minute though, she finally speaks up. "Did you catch what the Flash said about the Man in Yellow?" She asks.

Eddie rolls his eyes. "It was a distraction, that's all," he says. "We have no proof of another fast meta."

"But what if there is another... Speedster?" She asks.

"Speedster?" Joe teases with a smile.

Patty rolls her eyes. "If there's more than one, they need a classification and that's the first word that came to mind. And if the Flash was telling the truth..."

Eddie sighs and sets down his pencil. "It's not my case anymore, Patty," he says. "And there's no Man in Yellow."

Joe drops his pen. "Holy crap..." He mumbles. He pulls out one of his desk drawers and starts shuffling through the files.

"Joe? You okay?" Eddie asks.

Patty leans over to look. "What are you looking for?"

Joe sits up after a minute with a rather large file and drops it on his desk then starts flipping through it. "I've said those exact same words," he mumbles. "Here, look at this." He hands Eddie a paper, a case report from the looks of it. "About fifteen years ago I was working a double homicide. Looked like a B and E gone wrong. Only witness was the victims' kid and he claimed that he saw lightning come into his house and two men were inside the lightning. One man in red and one in yellow. He swore up and down that the Man in Yellow killed his parents but... It sounded ridiculous, y'know? And the psychologist said he was just trying to cope with the violent nature of the crime."

Eddie reads through the report then gets up and walks around to Joe's desk. He sets the paper down and thumbs through some of the other witness reports and photos. "What's the kid's name? He still live in town?" Eddie asks.

"Barry Allen," Joe replies, almost sadly. "He uh, yeah. He still lives in the area, at least according to his latest arrest record." Eddie frowns and looks up, and Joe sighs. "Barry got bumped around the system after his folks died. Started getting into trouble. A lot."

Eddie frowns again and Patty looks up from where she had been looking through the file as well. "We need to talk to him," she says. "His account sounds a lot like witness reports of the Flash."

"It was fifteen years ago Patty," Joe points out. "Metas didn't start showing up until just a couple months ago, including the Flash."

"Which is why we definitely need to talk to him," she replies.

Eddie nods. "I agree," he says. "You should bring him in for questioning, Joe. Just get his account of that night again."

Joe frowns and shakes his head. "He won't talk to me," he says. "Not since... Well..." He looks between Patty and Eddie, then back to the file in front of him. "Look, I'm the guy that couldn't find his parents' murderer. I let him down, and he made it pretty clear that he doesn't want to see me ever again."

"Then Eddie could go," Patty suggests. "He's good with people, he could get this Barry to open up."

Joe looks up to Eddie. "Is that good with you?" He asks.

Eddie shrugs. "If you want me to go talk to Barry Allen, I'll go talk to him. I just want this all to be over." He picks through the file again and pulls out Barry's latest mugshot and the report with his last known address. Something about the man looks familiar. Eddie’s seen him before but he can't quite place it. "What will you two do?" He asks, looking up again.

Joe looks over at Patty. "If Harrison Wells is responsible for the particle accelerator blast that created all these metas in the first place, maybe he has some insight into what might have created a Speedster fifteen years ago," he says. "We can go deal with him. Maybe Patty will be able to reason with him better than we were."

Eddie nods. "Okay, sounds like a plan," he says. He watches Joe and Patty grab their coats and head off, and Eddie looks down at the photo in his hand again. He knows this face. It's like something is missing, like he has a word on the tip of his tongue. It's something in those eyes, the way they almost seem to read Eddie's mind. He stares at the picture for another full minute before it hits him like a train. The piercings, the streaks of gold in his hair, the slight smirk, the eyes. "Son of a bitch," he breathes as he scrambles to find his keys. Of course he's seen this face before. He was just kissing this face last night. God _damnit_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie tracks down a lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS IS LATE! Things have been crazy, but hopefully going forward I should have some more regular updates. Thanks for reading and as always make sure to kudos and/or comment if you enjoyed it! And find me on Twitter/Tumblr @ Starkidmack :)

As Eddie approaches the door of Barry’s apartment, his steps slow. He realizes Barry might not even live here anymore, or he might not be home, or he might take one look at Eddie and vanish. But… Eddie reasons that he’s here now, and he has a duty to find the truth. So he walks up and knocks on the door before he can chicken out, rocking nervously on his heels.

He hears a thud and a muttered swear, then footsteps. “For fuck’s sake, I told you I’d have your money by—“ The door flies open and the shirtless man on the other side scowls. He’s got gold makeup smeared down one side of his face, boxers slung low on his hips, a serious case of bedhead, and gold glitter shining on most of his skin. It’s definitely Barry Allen, and Barry Allen is definitely the Flash.

Eddie smirks, and Barry’s eyes suddenly goes wide. “Don’t leave,” Eddie hurries to say. “I’m not here to arrest you.”

Barry pokes his head out into the hall and looks either way, then pulls Eddie inside. He slams the door shut and pushes Eddie against it, holding tight to the lapels of his coat. “What the hell are you doing here?” he hisses. “How did you even find me?”

Eddie holds his hands up in surrender, and Barry's grip on his coat tightens. “I’m good at my job,” Eddie replies. “Listen. I’m really not here to arrest you. I need to ask you a few questions and Joe said you didn’t want to talk to him.”

Barry sneers at the mention of Joe and lets Eddie go, storming over to the kitchen and banging around, mumbling to himself. Eddie takes the opportunity to take in the apartment. It isn’t much, just a small studio and hardly any furniture. There's a mattress under the window, bare save for a single pillow and a blanket shoved to the floor, and a lone dining chair tucked into a small card table in the corner, nestled in next to an ancient-looking radiator. Barry’s costume and various other clothes are strewn about. Somehow, Eddie isn’t surprised in the least.

He walks over to where Barry is fiddling with an outdated coffee maker and leans against the fridge, watching Barry carefully. A large tattoo of an upside down tree coverers most of the skin on his back, the root spreading out over his shoulder blades and the branches reach down almost to where his boxers sit. The thought crosses Eddie's mind briefly to reach out and touch but he squashes it, shoving his hands in his pockets instead. 

“Why aren’t you arresting me?” Barry asks quietly without looking up. “You’re a cop, I’m a criminal.”

“You’re also a meta-human, and you’ve proved arresting you is going to be more complicated than some handcuffs,” Eddie replies.

Barry huffs out a chuckle. “Oh yeah. Sorry about that,” he mumbles. “Well if you aren’t here to arrest me, why are you here? Want a repeat of last night?”

Eddie blushes despite himself and is eternally grateful that Barry’s back is to him. Though now, as he stares at it again, Eddie takes a moment to appreciate the hard lines of Barry's body and the contrast of the dark ink of Barry's tattoo against his pale skin. Once again he wishes he could reach out and touch, traces the branches, know his skin...

“Hey, Earth to Thawne!” Eddie looks up and sees Barry watching him with an amused grin. “Stop gawking and answer me.”

Eddie blushes again and clears his throat. “Don’t flatter yourself, you’re not my type,” he reminds him. “Anyway. I want to help you find the man that killed your parents.”

Barry furrows his brow and turns back to watch the coffee brew. "Why would you want to help me?" He asks.

With a shrug, Eddie walks around to Barry's other side. "Because it's the right thing to do," he says. "And because I think the same man that killed your parents is framing you for murder now."

Barry sighs and looks up to say something when suddenly a pounding comes through the door. "Allen, I know you're in there! Where's my money?!" calls a gruff voice.

Barry groans and storms over to the door, pulling it open only wide enough to poke his head out. "I told you I'd have it by the end of the week," he says. "And it's not the end of the week yet. It's Friday morning."

"It's noon, and it's Sunday," the voice replies. "If I don't have your rent today, you're gone."

Barry sighs and slams the door, then stalks back inside, mumbling to himself.

Eddie raises an eyebrow. "Don't you rob banks?" He asks. "How do you owe anyone money?"

Barry sighs again as he pours himself a cup of coffee. "I only take enough to get by," he says. "And only from people who won't really notice the difference. But I guess I didn't grab enough last time to cover my whole rent."

Eddie rolls his eyes. "I should arrest you," he says. "Why don't you just, y'know, get a job? Earn money the legal way?"

"Who'd hire an ex-con, especially when his record involves robbery?" Barry counters.

Eddie sighs and nods. "Fair point," he replies. "But... If you have this little code, and you only take what you need, what about the tachyon prototype?"

"I told you I didn't take that!" Barry replies in exasperation. "I didn't even know what a damn tachyon was until I saw it in their database! The Man in Yellow is setting me up. He's taunting me."

"What were you even looking for?" Eddie asks. "Computer hacking isn't your usual style."

"My usual style?" Barry parrots with a smirk.

Eddie nods. “Y'know, your MO. You pull heists, you don't hack."

Barry grins. "Been studying me, detective?"

Eddie blushes despite himself and clears his throat. "I'm just doing my job. Don't change the subject, come on."

Barry sighs and crosses over to the chair at the table, slumping down into it. Eddie walks over and perches against the table, watching him expectantly. "I was looking for information," Barry mumbles. He sips from his mug then sets it down. "The particle accelerator accident a year ago is responsible for metas now. But if the Man in Yellow has super speed like me, there must have been another accident fifteen years ago. Something that could have created him."

Eddie gives a half smile. "We had the same thought," he replies. "Only, why wouldn't you just go to STAR Labs? They'd have that information wouldn't they?"

Barry scowls and sips his coffee again. "We aren't exactly friends," he replies. "Three months ago, I woke up from a nine-month-long coma in the STAR Labs med bay. They ran some tests, helped me figure out what was going on, then tried to turn me into their sheepdog." Barry finishes off his coffee and pushes the cup away. "They wanted me to round up these other metas for observation. Turn me into some sort of hero, I guess. But that's not really my style and I told them that. Harrison Wells pretty much said that if I wasn't with them, I was against them, and there was no place for me at STAR besides a holding cell."

Eddie frowns. He considers reaching a hand out to comfort Barry but thinks better of it. They aren't friends. They aren't even acquaintances. Instead, he just purses his lips. "I'm sorry," he says. "Why Mercury though?"

Barry shrugs. "They're rivals with STAR. I thought they'd have the information I need. They didn't, but when I looked for information about Wells, that tachyon stuff came up. I still don't even really know what it is, but I think there's more to Wells than meets the eye."

"We spoke with Dr.McGee about the tachyons," Eddie says. "She said that they're particles that move faster than the speed of light. The device that went missing is supposed to absorb speed, but it could be reverse engineered to increase speed too,"

Barry huffs out a bitter chuckle. "Then you know I definitely don't have it," he mumbles. "I didn't finish high school, how would I even begin to consider reverse engineering anything?" Barry runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "How is this relevant to helping find my parents' murderer?" He asks.

"Because you saw the Man in Yellow that night," Eddie says. "And I told you, I think he's framing you now, at least for what happened at Mercury after you were already there." Barry frowns and Eddie does reach a hand out this time, covering Barry's hand with his own. "Tell me what happened that night."

Barry frowns and pulls his hand back. "Nobody ever believes me," he says.

"I do," Eddie replies. "Tell me."

Barry hesitates. He looks down at his hands as he fidgets his fingers. Eddie begins to think Barry won't talk at all when he does finally speak up. "The water came out of my fish tank," he says softly, so softly that Eddie almost misses it. "It didn't just splash out. It floated up. Then I heard crashing downstairs and I ran down, and there was lightning. It sounds impossible but that’s what I saw. My parents were caught in the middle of a lightning storm inside our house. I went closer and I saw them, two men inside the lightning."

"One in red and one in yellow," Eddie says. 

Barry nods and finally looks up, and his eyes shine with tears. "The yellow one... I watched him kill my parents. My mom and dad dropped dead and the red man flashed me out. I was three blocks away before I knew what was happening. By the time I ran back, the cops were there and the men in the lightning were long gone."

Eddie scrubs a hand over his face. "I think I get why people didn't believe you then but... It sounds exactly like witness reports now of, well, you."

Barry frowns. "I know," he says. "But if metas didn't exist until just recently, how were two of them in my house fifteen years ago?"

"I don't know," Eddie replies honestly. "But I'm going to help you figure it out."

***

Eddie leaves Barry's apartment a few minutes later with a lot to think about. While he knows he should report the Flash's real identity, after meeting Barry and talking to him he also knows he won’t be able to bring himself to do it. Barry’s been through a lot, and Eddie now definitely believes that some other meta is involved. The trouble will be convincing everyone else, especially without definitive proof.

Eddie has just gotten back in his car when his phone rings. He pulls it out and rolls his eyes when he sees Joe’s name. “Hey,” he says by way of answering.

“Hey, you still with Allen?” Joe asks.

“Nope, just left actually,” Eddie replies. “How’d it go with Wells?”

“You were right, he’s a dick,” comes Patty’s voice. “Basically told us to go screw ourselves.”

Eddie sighs. “So you didn’t get anything from him?” he asks. “Anything about what might have created a meta fifteen years ago?”

“Not a thing,” Joe replies. “What about Barry? What did you get?”

Eddie sighs and glances up at the apartment building. “I believe him about the Man in Yellow,” he says. “The way he described it, Joe… He could have been describing a speedster today.”

“Ha! Speedster!” Patty cheers. Eddie can practically hear Joe rolling his eyes.

“Yes, speedster. Because I’m convinced there’s more than one,” Eddie says. “Barry saw two of them that night. So something must have created two metas fifteen years ago, and who knows how many more.”

“Or,” Patty chimes in. “That guy at STAR. Cisco Ramón. He made a crack about time travel and…”

Eddie frowns and he hears Joe sigh. “I told you, that’s crazy,” says Joe. “I think we need to keep trying STAR Labs. If there was some other event that created a meta before any of this, we need to know more about it. And we need solid proof on this Man in Yellow before any judge will give us a warrant to search the place.”

“Agreed,” Eddie responds. “Alright, I’ll meet you guys back at the station and we can figure out our next play, okay?”

“Sounds good, see ya,” Joe replies. Eddie hangs up the call and looks up at Barry’s building again. He knows he should bring Barry in for questioning, tell Joe who he really is, _something_ …. but he realizes that if he breaks Barry's trust now, there may be no getting it back. 

He finally starts the car when in a sudden flash, he’s yanked out and standing on top of a building. “Jesus Christ Bar—" Once his vision comes into focus again, Eddie looks up and realizes with a knot in his stomach that Barry isn’t the one that grabbed him. He can see that the man holding him up by his shirt, despite somehow making himself look blurry, is clad head-to-toe in a yellow outfit. “You are real….” Eddie breathes.

“Real indeed,” the man says, his voice altered to make him unidentifiable. “Detective Eddie Thawne in the flesh. I didn’t think this day would come so soon.” He moves forward, guiding Eddie back to the edge of the rooftop. “I could kill you in an instant,” he says, “but then, that wouldn’t suit my purpose very well.”

“What purpose?” Eddie asks. He pushes with his feet to try and slow the man, to no avail. His feet can't find purchase on the icy surface. They move closer and closer to the edge of the building until Eddie can no longer feel the rooftop beneath his heel.

“That doesn’t concern you,” the man replies. “What does concern you is staying away from the Flash, from me, and from the Tachyon Prototype.” The Man in Yellow takes another step forward and Eddie’s foot slips off the edge of the building even more. “You’ve seen what I’m capable of, Thawne. Cease your investigation or you will see the same fate.

Eddie opens his mouth to reply when in the blink of an eye he’s tugged off the edge of the building and standing firmly in the middle of the roof. “This isn’t about him,” comes Barry’s voice. Eddie looks up to see Barry in his Flash costume standing between him and the Man in Yellow, then everything goes dark.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is what it looks like. If only it could be that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? A regular update?! What Earth is this?? Well anyway, thanks for being here! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! If you are, be sure to leave a Kudos and a Comment, and check me out on Tumblr and Twitter @ starkidmack!

When Eddie comes to, he’s staring up at a ceiling he doesn’t recognize and it takes a moment before he figures out he’s laying on a bed and his back is wet. He groans as he sits up and in an instant a hand is on his back. “Easy,” Barry says. “You hit your head pretty hard.”

“What happened?” Eddie asks. He takes the glass of water Barry offers and looks over at him, noticing that he's wearing plain clothes now. He pushes the disappointment aside as he sips the water. “Where’s the Man in Yellow?” he asks.

Barry rolls his eyes. “You passed out,” he says. “I wasn’t gonna leave you on the roof, and he disappeared while I was distracted.”

Eddie sighs. “So you brought me back to your apartment?”

“Who knew that all it took to get you in my bed was minor head trauma?” Barry teases. “How do you even do your job when bad guys make you faint?”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “I didn’t faint. I passed out. There’s a difference,” he mumbles. "It probably had something to do with being sped around. I don't think normal bodies are built for that."

Barry smirks. “I’m so sure,” he says. “It’s okay, really, this is a safe space. You can admit you just wanted to get me to play nurse. Maybe later we can play doctor too.”

Eddie rolls his eyes and blushes, and he becomes hyperaware of the fact that Barry’s hand is still on his back, rubbing soothing circles. “I um…” Eddie clears his throat. “I need to go. I have to tell Joe what happened.”

“Are you insane?” Barry asks. “You’re not driving anywhere. If anything I’m taking you to a hospital.”

Eddie shakes his head, then winces at the motion. “I’m fine,” he mumbles. “It’s not my first concussion.” He looks over at Barry and considers him carefully. He’s still got makeup smeared down his face and his hair is still a wreck, but damnit if he isn’t beautiful. “You saved my life,” Eddie says softly.

“I saved myself a headache is what I saved,” Barry says. “If you got yourself killed, I’d have to deal with Joe West and that fangirl. I was really only looking out for my best interests.”

“What’s your problem with Joe?” Eddie asks. “I mean, I know he let you down when he couldn’t catch the guy that killed your parents, but I’m sure he did everything he could.”

Barry pulls his hand back and stands, and suddenly Eddie misses the contact. “Is that what he told you? About why I hate him?” Barry asks, crossing his arms. “Of course he’d leave out the rest of it. Why would he tarnish his own shining reputation…”

Eddie frowns and watches Barry pace. “Tell me,” he says. “I work with the man, I need to know what happened.”

“He didn’t just give up on my parents,” Barry says. “He gave up on me too.”

“What do you mean?” asks Eddie.

Barry sighs and runs a hand through his messy hair, then sits in his chair. “Joe was just a beat cop back then. He was the first on the scene actually. And his daughter and I were really good friends in school. So... he offered to take me in.”

“But… Joe said you went into the system after your parents died,” Eddie replies.

“I did,” Barry says bitterly. “Joe couldn’t handle being a single parent to two kids, especially when one of them had attitude problems and was, y’know, delusional.” Barry runs a hand through his hair again and eyes Eddie carefully. “Your precious Detective West turned me over to CPS. I got bounced around from home to home because nobody wanted to deal with the crazy brat that wouldn't stop talking about lightning men and got into fights at school every couple days.”

“He gave you up?” Eddie asks. “But… there’s nothing in your file about living with Joe in the first place.”

“There wouldn’t be,” Barry replies. “It wasn’t ever official.”

Eddie pushes himself up carefully and walks over to Barry. “I’m sorry,” he says, reaching a hand out to Barry’s arm.

“Joe West ruined my life almost as much as the Man In Yellow did,” Barry says. “I’ll never forgive him.”

Eddie wants to ask for more backstory, but he doesn’t want to push it now. Instead, he drops his hand from Barry’s arm to grab his hand and squeeze it gently. “We’ll find the bastard that killed your parents,” he says. “I’m not giving up on you, Barry Allen.”

***

Eddie calls Joe after a few minutes and tells him he’ll be late getting back to the station. Barry makes him rest a little while longer, and being taken care of by Barry feels nicer than Eddie cares to admit. When Barry does finally agree to let Eddie go, he insists on driving and leads Eddie outside.

“Wait, I left my car running…” Eddie says when they get to the car.

“Yeah, you did. I came and grabbed the keys for you,” Barry replies, holding them up. “Are you sure you don’t need to go to a hospital? Or home?”

Eddie sighs and shakes his head as he slides into the passenger seat. “I’m fine,” he says. “I  
hate hospitals, I saw enough of them as a kid. And I’m not telling the Flash where I live.” Barry purses his lips but doesn’t argue. As they drive, Eddie looks over at the other man. “So, how did you even know I was up there?” he asks.

“I saw him,” Barry replies. “He ran past my apartment when he ran up the building. There’s also this weird sort of energy when he’s around. A change in the atmosphere. I can feel it, but only barely.”

Eddie frowns slightly. “Well thank you,” he says. “I mean it. You’re a hero.”

“I’m no hero,” Barry says quickly. “I told you. If you get yourself killed I have to deal with Joe directly. So it’s in my best interest to keep you alive.”

“Okay, whatever you say,” Eddie says with a smirk. “Can I ask you another question?”

Barry furrows his brow. “Depends on the question.”

“Why did you kiss me last night?”

Barry is silent for a moment before glancing at Eddie then back to the road. “Why did you kiss me back?” he counters.

Eddie blushes and clears his throat. “It… was an instinct,” he says. “Someone kisses you, you kiss back, that’s what you do.”

“See, I thought you were the kind of guy that would have stopped something he didn’t like,” Barry says.

“If you’re implying I wanted to kiss you, you’re wrong,” Eddie replies. “I did stop it. And you didn’t answer my question.”

Barry sighs and glances at Eddie again briefly. “I don’t know, really,” he finally says. “Seemed like the right thing to do in the moment. I mean, you’re not… unattractive. And I needed to distract you. So.”

“Not unattractive, wow, you really know how to charm a guy," Eddie teases.

"Shut up," Barry grumbles, and he's met with laughter from Eddie.

When they finally get to the parking garage at the station, Eddie gets out of the car and looks over at Barry. "Since you're here... What are the chances I can convince you to come give a statement?" He asks.

"Slim to none," Barry replies. "I've given my statement once before and they didn't believe me. Plus the word of a criminal doesn't go very far."

Eddie frowns. "Okay, if you say so," he says. "Can I at least call you a cab?"

Barry chuckles. "I think I can get home just fine," he says with a smirk. "I'll see you around Thawne."

He turns to walk away, no doubt to speed off as soon as he's out of sight of any security cameras. Eddie watches him go then heads inside. When the elevator door slides open on his floor, he makes his way to his desk, sighing when Joe walks over. Now that he knows more of the story between Joe and Barry, Eddie can't bring himself to feel particularly amicable towards the other man.

"Hey," Joe greets with a grin. "Everything go okay with Barry?"

"Fine," Eddie replies curtly. He pulls up a blank report on his computer and sets to work, but Joe doesn't go away, much to Eddie's chagrin.

"He give you any new information?" Joe asks. "Anything we can use to track this other meta?"

Eddie purses his lips and tries to focus on his work. "Nope," he says. "Just recounted his first statement. That's all."

Joe frowns. "Hey, everything okay? You're acting like I kicked your dog or something."

"Barry told me more about your guys' history," Eddie says, finally looking up at Joe. "About how you're the reason he went into the foster system in the first place."

Joe's face falls and he rubs the back of his neck. "It's not like that," he says. "You have to understand, I couldn't give Barry the help I thought he needed. What was I supposed to do?"

"Not give up on a kid who just lost both his parents," Eddie replies coldly.

Joe frowns. "You don't know what it was like," he says. "I don't get why you care so much anyway. It happened a long time ago, and you just met this kid."

Eddie furrows his brow and looks back to his work. “Someone has to care about him,” he says stiffly.

Joe frowns again. "Just... Be careful," he warns. "Barry's got a complicated past. And with people like him… If you jump in with both feet, you might wind up in over your head."

Joe grabs his coat from his desk then walks off, and Eddie frowns. Maybe, he thinks, he's in over his head already.

***

The Flash is silent on all fronts for the next couple days. No break-ins, no robberies, nothing. Eddie vaguely wonders how Barry came up with the rest of the money for his rent, but quickly realizes it’s probably better that he doesn’t know. They make no progress with Mercury or STAR either. It seems as though they've hit a wall in the case against the Flash, and the team starts to grow restless.

Eddie has begun to contemplate reaching out to Barry directly when finally one evening, several days after Eddie had gone to see Barry, a call comes in about a robbery in progress at Rathaway Industries, and that the Flash was spotted nearby.

When they arrive, Joe looks over at Patty and Eddie and the rest of the officers on the scene. "Eddie, you and Patty go around the back," he instructs. "Sampson, cover me through the front. The rest of you cover the perimeter. This guy does not get away."

They split up and Eddie and Patty go around the back of the building, quietly slipping in through a service entrance. They can hear the alarm going off several floors up so Eddie motions to the stairs and they make their way up. Part of Eddie hopes Barry isn't here, and that hope terrifies another part of him. He pushes the thoughts aside though when they get to the fifth floor and can see alarm lights shining through the window on the door. 

“Cover me,” Eddie says quietly. Patty nods and they start down the hall, checking the different offices until Eddie hears voices coming from up ahead. “You hear that?” he whispers.

Patty nods again. “Sounds like two or three of them,” she says. “We should wait for backup,” she say as she pulls out her radio.

"I'm gonna try and get a closer look,” he says. “Stay here and cover me in case there are more.”

Patty starts to protest, but Eddie ignores her. He creeps forward silently and stops just around the corner from the office that the voices are coming from. He can't see who's talking, but he can hear them now plain as day.

"The cops are already here, we need to go," comes a gruff voice.

"Not yet. Hart said his old man keeps thousands in petty cash in this safe and we aren't leaving until we get it," a quieter, smoother voice responds.

"If we get arrested because that brat wants to get back at mommy and daddy, I'll ring his neck myself," the first voice says. "Why didn't we bring Shawna with us? She'd have been more help than this one."

"Aw, have some faith in me, Mickey," comes a third voice, and Eddie definitely recognizes it as Barry's. "I've gotten you boys out of worse jams than this. Or are you forgetting Opal City? Besides, Len's right. We can't leave 'til we get Hartley's money. We promised him."

Eddie finally steps around the corner, gun drawn and aiming at Barry, who's dressed in his Flash costume. "And they say there’s no honor amongst thieves," He says. He's only somewhat surprised to see that the other two people in the room with Barry are Leonard Snart and Mick Rory. He is a lot more surprised though when Mick looks up and whips out a rather large device that looks like some sort of gun.

Leonard glances up from where he's cracking a giant safe in the wall and rolls his eyes. "This your boy toy, Allen?" He says, going back to focusing on the safe.

"Jealous, Snart?" Barry quips. In the blink of an eye and a flash of lightning, Eddie’s gun is gone and he’s handcuffed through the handle on the door, Barry standing in front of him with a smirk as he toys with Eddie’s tie. "Good to see you again detective," he says with a coy smile, pressing his lips right to Eddie's ear. “What do you know, handcuffs are a good look on you too.”

Eddie blushes but rolls his eyes and rattles the cuffs as he pulls back. "My team's already on their way," he says. "You three might make this easy for all of us and just stand down."

"Yeah, not happening," Leonard calls, not looking up. "I'm not giving up a score this big just because you asked nicely." The safe clicks open and Len smirks when he pulls it open. “Hart was right, Daddy Dearest hasn’t changed one bit.” He starts pulling out stacks of cash and slipping them into a duffel bag on the floor.

“You don’t have to do this,” Eddie says, looking from Leonard to Barry. “Let me go. You’re better than this, I know it.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Barry replies. Eddie rolls is eyes and Barry chuckles. "What, gonna try and arrest me again?" He asks. "Because that worked so well for you last time, right?”

Footsteps echo down the hall and Eddie just smirks. "Time's up boys," he says. “Backup’s here. Now you either let me go and come with me quietly or you go with them. Not so quietly.”

“How about option three instead,” Leonard says, standing. “Alright Scarlet, you’re up.”

Barry smirks and winks at Eddie, then glances to Mick. “Sit tight big guy, I’ll be back,” he says. He walks over to Leonard and wraps an arm snugly around his waist, and Eddie barely has time to process the pang of jealousy before Barry disappears with Leonard and returns just moments later.

"You don't have to do this, Flash," Eddie says again. "Please, just--"

"Freeze, nobody move!" Joe calls as he runs in, flanked by Patty and two other officers. One leans over and starts to help uncuff Eddie, and Barry rolls his eyes.

Mick grins, holding up his device. "I prefer flames," he says. He pulls the trigger and flames burst from the end, narrowly missing the officers but setting the room ablaze. "Get us out of here Scarlet," he calls as flames quickly envelop the office and spread out down the hall. The sprinkler system sets off, but the flames move too quick to be put out. "Now!"

Eddie rub his wrist once he's free. He can hear Patty radio for assistance as the other officers try to find a way out, but he just looks at Barry. "Please don't do this," he pleads. "You aren't like them. You're a good guy, I've seen it. If you leave us up here, we'll die."

"Scarlet, I'm not asking again," Mick warns. Barry frowns at Eddie then looks at Mick. 

"Come on," Barry says. He wraps his arm around Mick's waist then races out through the window he took Len through. When he's gone, Eddie feels his heart sink. He'd greatly misjudged Barry's character, a mistake he may now die for.

As sparks fly and the flame grows, Eddie finally runs out of the small office where the team are huddled together, only to discover the stairwell blocked off by a burning beam. "Is there any other way out?!" He asks.

"This is the only stairwell on the floor," Joe replies. "Elevators will be out of service. We need to get to a window, now!"

Before they can move though, a bright flash zips by and Patty is gone. There's another flash and one of the other officers is gone, and then the other, and then Joe. Finally, another flash comes in and Barry stands in front of Eddie. "We need to go, now," he says.

"You came back?" Eddie asks.

"I did, and you can make it up to me later, but now we need to go," Barry replies, holding his hand out. "Unless you feel like barbecue tonight? But y'know, that's not really an ideal first date."

Eddie rolls his eyes and takes Barry's hand. Barry pulls him close, too close it seems, then winks at Eddie and runs out of the window. They zip down the side and as suddenly as they started moving, they've stopped again, several blocks away from the burning building. "You gonna faint again?" Barry asks, still gripping Eddie's waist.

"I'll survive," Eddie mumbles, jerking out of Barry's grip. He feels a bit woozy but he's not giving Barry the satisfaction. He brushes off some ash from his shoulder then folds his arms, the chill of the night air setting in. "You need to go. Now," Eddie says stiffly.

"What, that's all the thanks I get?" Barry asks with a smirk.

Eddie scoffs. "After your buddies set the damn fire? After you helped them rob the place? You're lucky I don’t try to arrest you again."

Barry steps forward and makes to reach for Eddie's arm, but Eddie pulls out of the way. "Oh come on, Thawne, you know you can't hold me," Barry teases. "Even if you could, you wouldn't. Unless it was up against a wall, maybe."

"God damnit Ba-" Eddie sighs angrily and presses the heels of his palms to his eyes. "Would you grow up for five fucking minutes? I could have died tonight, my team could have died tonight!" He scrubs a hand over his face and sighs. "I could lose my job for what happened here, you understand that?" he asks, softer than before. "I let myself get taken advantage of by you, again. I'm responsible for not one, not two, but three wanted criminals getting away with thousands in cash. And now..." He gestures to the pillar of smoke coming from Rathaway Industries a few blocks away.

"I'm... Eddie, I'm sorry," Barry says softly. "I didn't think about that. I just.." He wraps his arms around himself and looks up at the smoke. "Len got me out of a tight spot a couple days ago and I owed him. And Mick is a little... Unstable. I never meant for you to get caught in the middle."

"You're right, you didn't think." Eddie huffs. "I thought... I thought you could be a good guy. A hero even. I saw it in you, Barry. But you're the one who proved me wrong tonight."

"Eddie..."

"Just... Take me back, please," Eddie interjects. "Take me to my team, then leave me alone."

Barry frowns but nods. "Okay," he says. He steps forward to wrap his arm around Eddie's waist and runs him back to where the officers are gathered, then races away before anyone else can try and stop him.

An EMT comes over to check Eddie out but he waves him off. When Joe comes over a minute later, Eddie shakes his head. "I don't want to talk about it, Joe," he says. "You were right about jumping in with both feet."

Joe frowns and pats Eddie's shoulder. "Sorry," he says.

Eddie sighs. "Me too."


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie has some time to reflect... with some help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live!! I'm clearly not quite used to doing weekly updates haha... but here we go! This chapter is a bit shorter but the next few should be a bit longer, so stick around!
> 
> Don't forget to kudos/comment if you enjoyed the fic, and follow me on Tumblr/Twitter @ starkidmack!

As it turns out, Eddie isn’t fired or assigned to a new department. Internal Affairs suspends him for two weeks, however, while they investigate his relationship with the Flash and the other Rogues. With nothing else to do, Eddie resigns himself to sitting at home, alternating between binge watching shows on Netflix and doing some independent research into the details surrounding the Man in Yellow and the other speedster that Barry saw as a child. His research only leads back to conspiracy theories and unconfirmed sightings, and nothing much of substance.

He's in the middle of day eight of his suspension when there's a knock at the door. Eddie sets his laptop aside and pushes himself up off the couch with a sigh, then walks over. When he pulls it open, the last person he expects to see is Barry Allen, but there he stands. Eddie freezes in surprise for a moment before frowning. "What are you doing here?" He asks. "How did you even find my apartment?"

Barry runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Um, I went to go find you at the station but the guy at the desk said you were suspended. And then... I hacked his computer and did a quick search for your address when he took a bathroom break."

Eddie sighs and shakes his head. "So you broke into a police computer to track me down?" he asks.

"It sounds creepy when you put it like that," Barry mumbles. "Look, I know you're pissed at me, and you have every right to be. I just... Wanted to apologize. Again." When Eddie looks at Barry expectantly, Barry runs a hand through his hair again and fidgets his hands. "Um, I'm sorry," he says. "Really sorry. I didn't mean for you to get in trouble because of me. I don't really think before I do, well, anything, but I shouldn't have kissed you that night and I shouldn't have been there with Len and Mick and I'm _sorry_ , Eddie."

Eddie tries to suppress a smile and fails. "Why don't you come inside," he says, standing aside and pushing the door open, "I was just about to make lunch. I'll even let you keep groveling if you want."

Barry rolls his eyes but smirks. "Deal," he says, walking past Eddie into the apartment.

"So, how does a foster kid that's been in and out of jail learn how to hack computers?" Eddie asks as he kicks the door shut and walks into the kitchen.

Barry shrugs and follows Eddie, sitting at the small dining table. "One of my friends is like, a certified genius. He used to work with STAR before Wells gave him the same treatment he gave me. He's taught me a few tricks."

"This friend know about the Man in Yellow?" Eddie replies as he starts pulling out everything he needs for grilled cheese.

Barry shrugs again. "I've mentioned it. He was convinced for a while that Wells was the Man in Yellow but that theory fell through pretty quick."

Eddie puts a sandwich in the pan and looks up. "I hadn't even thought of that. Is it the wheelchair thing?" He asks. "I mean, he could be faking that."

"Nope," Barry says, shaking his head. "We checked the medical records. The particle accelerator blast really did paralyze him. There's no way he's a meta with super speed."

Eddie frowns but continues cooking. "He's involved somehow though," he says. "Or he knows someone who is."

Barry gets up and walks over to Eddie, leaning against the counter next to him. "I didn't come here to talk about Harrison Wells," Barry says. "I came here to make sure you're alright."

Eddie looks over at Barry and purses his lips as he goes back to cooking. "I'm under investigation because of a relationship I may or may not have with you and the rest of your Rogues, every meta case I've worked in the last three months is being called into question, and I'm failing the promise I made to you the same way Joe did. Alright isn't exactly the word I would use."

Barry frowns and crosses his arms. "I'm sorry," he mumbles. "I didn't.... I just--"

"Hey." Eddie plates the last sandwich and turns the stove off, then turns to look at Barry. "I'll be fine," he says. "I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. I mean, you're a pain in the ass but you're not a cold hearted villain. I..." He sighs. "I forgive you. But no more second chances. I can't keep putting my job on the line for you and letting you get away with robbing banks and working with the Rogues." He hands Barry a plate and walks back into the living room. "Deal?" He asks as he sits on one end of the couch.

"That's fair," Barry replies as he follows Eddie, dropping into the other end of the sofa. "I won't work with them on jobs anymore if it'll make you happy. But... They're my family. I'm not just giving up on them altogether."

Eddie furrows his brow. "What, like a crime family?" he asks. "Some sort of mob thing?"

Barry rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "No, like, my family," he says. "I met Len on a job when I busted into a place he'd been casing, like, a week after I got out of juvie the first time. He was already working with Mick and his sister Lisa at that point and they took me in, helped me get on my feet.” Barry shrugs. “After the accident, when Wells kicked me out, they helped train me. Hone in my powers.”

"What about the others?" Eddie asks. "Mark Mardon works with you guys right? And Shawna Baez?"

Barry bites into his sandwich then nods. "Mhm," he mumbles before swallowing. "We all kind of come and go. Mark mostly keeps to himself. We don't really hear from him unless something big is going on. Shawna and I train together sometimes, and when Hart isn't being a dick or teaching me about computers, he's coming up with ways to screw over his folks and-or Wells."

"Hart?" Eddie asks.

"My friend that used to work at STAR. I think he started calling himself the Pied Piper?" Barry replies. "He's such an asshole, who names themselves?"

Eddie's eyes go wide. "You mean Hartley Rathaway? The kid with super hearing whose parents' building you set on fire a week ago?"

Barry rolls his eyes again. "Okay one, that wasn't me, that was Mick. He's a goddamned pyro. Two, according to Osgood and Rachel Rathaway and all the legal bullshit they put Hart through, they don't have a son and never did. So.”

Eddie frowns some. “You know at least half of your… family… is wanted for murder right? And like, other really serious crimes? Doesn’t that worry you?”

Barry shrugs. “That was all a long time ago. We look out for each other now,” he says. “You wouldn’t get it. I’m sure you had a family who loved you and took care of you and, y’know. Provided for you.”

“That’s not fair,” Eddie says, setting his plate aside. “I had my parents and my sisters but we were hardly a family.” Barry looks at Eddie for explanation and Eddie rolls his eyes. “You have to be at least a level three friend or significant other to unlock my tragic backstory,” he says.

“And what level am I now?” Barry asks, setting his own plate on the coffee table. He leans in close, leaning into his arm against the back of the couch.

Eddie raises an eyebrow and smirks. “Maybe a point-five,” he says.

“We’ve kissed, and you just made me lunch,” Barry points out with a grin.

“You kissed me, and you stalked me here,” Eddie counters.

Barry just laughs. “You kissed back, and you invited me in, so fuck off,” he replies.

Eddie laughs along with Barry. “Yeah, okay, you’ve got me,” he says. “So maybe a… point-nine.”

“Your leveling system is flawed,” Barry says. “But fine, don’t tell me. It just gives me something to work towards.”

Eddie rolls his eyes and smiles. “Yeah, sure, whatever you say,” he mumbles.

Barry chuckles and looks up at Eddie. “Y’know, the scruff is a good look on you,” he says, reaching forward to cup Eddie’s jaw and scratch over the stubble. 

Eddie tenses slightly then relaxes into the touch. He sits like that for a moment until he realizes Barry is staring and he leans away with a start, clearing his throat. Barry frowns but drops his hand to cover Eddie’s. “I make you nervous, don’t I?” Barry says softly, rubbing his thumb over Eddie’s knuckles.

Eddie bites the inside of his cheek and nods, watching where their hands are joined. “I just don’t know much about you,” he says. “I mean, I know about your history, but I don’t know _you_. And after seeing what the Man in Yellow has done…”

“You think I’m like him,” Barry says. It’s a statement, an accusation. He pulls his hand back into his own lap and frowns again.

“No,” Eddie says firmly, reaching out for Barry’s hand again. “Your powers are incredible and you have so much potential. You could do great things for this city, Barry. But this path you’re on — the crime spree and the revenge mission — You’re doing the wrong things even if they are for the right reasons and… you could become like him.” He squeezes Barry’s hand then pulls back, watching the other man carefully.

Barry doesn’t look up right away, just plays with his rings. “I need to go,” he says softly, standing. He grabs the plates and speeds into the kitchen and back, then shoves his hands in his pockets and heads for the door.

Eddie stands and reaches for his arm. “You don’t have to—“

“Bye, Eddie,” Barry mumbles, pulling out of Eddie’s grip and speeding away.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie gets back to work

When Eddie’s suspension ends a week later, his first stop is a hearing with Internal Affairs where they tell him they’ve found no concrete evidence of a relationship with the Flash, but he should consider distancing himself from the meta as much as possible. After that he heads to Singh’s office. Singh sits him down and closes the door, then leans against his desk.

“I should take you off the task force completely,” he says. “I have half a mind to do it. Internal Affairs might not have found you guilty of anything but I know for a fact that this has gone on way too long. However..."

"Sir?" Eddie asks nervously.

Singh sighs. "We had a run-in with a meta a few days ago. Guy could, uh, clone himself. He nearly had the upper hand when the Flash showed up and actually helped us take him down." He crosses his arms and watches Eddie carefully. "He said he was done doing the wrong things even if they were for the right reasons. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

Eddie grins despite himself but shakes his head. "No sir," he says. "It's um, good to hear though. Maybe he won't be as much of a nuisance now."

Singh eyes Eddie suspiciously but nods. "Yeah. Maybe." He jerks his head to the door. “Go on."

"Thank you sir," Eddie says with a big grin. He walks out of the office and heads to his desk, rolling his eyes fondly when he sees Patty leaning against it. "Hi Patty," he says, shooing her aside so he can sit. "Heard you guys had some extra help while I was away."

"Welcome back Thawne!" She says with a smile. "Yeah, the Flash totally saved our butts with a meta that could clone himself a couple days ago. It was awesome!"

Eddie smiles as he starts sorting through the stacks of paperwork on his desk. "I heard," he says, looking up at her. “I miss anything else?”

Patty shrugs and saunters over to her own desk across the way. “Not really,” she says. “But a cute boy came in here last week to talk to you. I think it was that Allen guy that Joe knows.”

“Who do I know?” Joe asks as he walks through, going around to his desk. He glances at Eddie briefly then looks to Patty.

“That guy that came in here last week. I think it was Barry Allen," Patty replies.

Joe’s eyebrows shoot up as he sits. “Barry Allen? Walked into a police station of his own volition?” he asks incredulously.

Eddie tries to hide his blush but fails, and Patty laughs. “Yes, he came in asking for Eddie,” she says with a smirk.

Joe looks over at Eddie and furrows his brow. "What did he want?" He asks.

Eddie shrugs. "How should I know? Maybe he wanted to give his statement again or remembered something that could help us."

"Yeah or he has the hots for you," Patty offers. Joe's phone starts ringing so he steps away to answer it, and Patty comes over to lean against Eddie's desk. "It's not fair," she says, "you've got the Flash and this Barry Allen guy both pining after you."

Eddie groans. "Aren't you dating someone?" He asks, glancing over to Joe briefly then back up to Patty. She blushes and purses her lips. “And they're not pining after me," he continues. "Anyway, even if they were, I'm not interested. The Flash is a menace. And I barely know Barry."

"Mhm, whatever you say," Patty teases. "I--"

"Guys, we gotta go," Joe interjects as he walks back over. "That was Cisco Ramón. Tony Woodward broke out."

"What?!" Eddie exclaims as he shoots up. "How is that even possible?"

Joe sighs. "Looks like someone hacked the STAR mainframe, unlocked his cell remotely," he says. "Which means--"

"They could let out any other meta too," Eddie finishes. "Crap. We gotta go."

***

The three detectives and the rest of the task force mobilize quickly and head out. Joe takes a group of officers out to Tony's last known hideout while Eddie and Patty and a few others head to STAR to secure the area. At the lab, they're met by Cisco Ramón and Caitlin Snow. "What happened?" Eddie asks.

"I'm still trying to trace the hack," Cisco replies, typing away at his computer. "Whoever it was is good. I'm still locked out of all processes on our network. They knew what they were doing."

Eddie frowns. "Was it Hartley Rathaway?"

Cisco shakes his head. "He's a dick, but this wasn't him. I know his signature. This is... Even more advanced than Hart.”

"Where's the BOOT?" Patty asks. 

When Cisco and Caitlin clear their throats and busy themselves instead of answering, Eddie clenches his jaw. "What happened to it?" He asks.

Cisco sighs and Caitlin looks at Eddie with a frown. "We tried that," Caitlin says. "Tony... Smashed it. Honestly we're lucky it wasn't our faces."

Eddie sighs and looks over at Patty. "He was after Iris last time. Call her and make sure she's safe." She nods and hurries away, and Eddie looks over at Cisco. "Keep trying to trace the hack. Whoever let Woodward out might have picked him specifically, and if so we need to know why." He glances between Cisco and Caitlin and frowns. "Where is Dr. Wells?" he asks.

"He went on vacation, he's in Coast City visiting his sister," Caitlin replies. "I'll get in touch with him then try and figure out a way to make Tony, um, not metal."

Eddie nods. "Good. And the rest of you man the entrances in case he comes back."

The team splits up and Patty walks up to Eddie. "I talked to Joe. Iris is safe," she says. "Joe said she's headed to the police station now. She hasn't heard from Tony but she'll let us know if she does."

"Okay, thank you," Eddie replies. "Are you alright? You should go meet her, make sure she's okay."

Patty shakes her head. "I'll be more use here," she says. "But, what about... Yknow..." she wiggles her eyebrows. "Can't you call him?"

It takes Eddie a moment to catch on, but he sighs when he does. "I don't have a direct line to him," he replies. "I mean, I didn't call him when he showed up for you guys last time."

"If you're talking about the Flash, I may be able to help," Cisco says, looking up. "I um.... Might have his number."

"You _what_?!" Caitlin hisses.

"I second that," Patty adds on. "How do you have the Flash's number?"

Cisco smiles bashfully and shrugs. "We kept in touch after he uh, stopped working here," he admits. "He might have gone all Dark Side but we we were still bros. Who do you think designed his super suit?"

Eddie squashes down the jealousy he can feel creeping up and rolls his eyes. "We'll discuss any possible aiding and abetting charges later. For now, get him here, see if he's willing to help."

"Okay, but how is Ba--" Cisco freezes and his eyes go wide, glancing at Eddie and Patty. "Um... how is BEING... super fast going to help?"

Caitlin clears her throat. "I... may actually have an idea," she says reluctantly. “Well, Doctor Wells does, and I think it’ll work. I may not like it, but if you can get him here, I think I know how he can help us."

Cisco nods and sends a tect. It's only a few seconds later that Barry comes racing in wearing his costume, sending papers flying everywhere. Patty's hand goes to her gun on instinct but Eddie smiles. “I’m glad you came," he says.

"I didn't come for you," Barry replies coldly, vibrating his voice. He turns away from Eddie and looks to Cisco and Caitlin. "Cisco, what's the emergency?"

Eddie frowns and everyone looks between them before Cisco clears his throat. "Um, Girder escaped. Someone hacked our network and opened his cell."

Barry narrows his eyes. "If you want a sheepdog, go to the pet store," he says. "I'm not rounding up your missing flock."

"He might be after Joe's daughter Iris," Patty says. "Like last time. I know you aren't his biggest fan but she could be in danger. And Tony broke the BOOT so we have no other way of stopping him."

"You're our best option," Caitlin cuts in. "And after you helped with Multiplex, we thought..."

Barry sighs and rubs the back of his neck, then glances over at Eddie and Patty. "Fine," he says, looking to Caitlin. "What do you need me to do?"

Caitlin grins and walks over to Barry with a tablet. "We've run some calculations. Given Tony's genetic makeup and the way his body reacts, if you go fast enough and hit him at the right angle, he won't have time to turn into metal. You should connect with skin and bone."

Barry swipes through the tablet and sighs. "It's the 'should' that worries me," he says. "What happens if I'm not going fast enough?"

"You.... Could shatter every bone in your body."

"Fun," Barry says, rolling his eyes and handing the tablet back.

Cisco walks over and pats Barry's shoulder. "Come on dude, your healing factor would get you back on your feet within a few hours. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I'm sorry, healing factor?" Eddie asks.

Barry rolls his eyes again. "I don't just run fast, I do everything fast. Digest, sleep, heal...” he answers without looking at Eddie. “Amongst other things. Caitlin, how fast do I have to run?"

She swipes through her tablet and looks back up at Barry. "Mach one," she says. "That's the speed of sound. Roughly 750 miles per hours."

Barry nods. "Okay. I mean, I've broken the sound barrier before, so I just... Try to do that again right?"

"You'll have to start several miles away to get that much speed," Caitlin replies.

"But I can do it," Barry says. "I have to try."

"Are you sure?" Eddie asks. "I mean..."

"Listen, I've been itching to to knock Tony Woodward on his ass since we were kids," Barry says. "He has it coming. And anyway..." He glances over at Eddie again then looks away. "Like Caitlin said. I'm your best option."

Eddie frowns but nods. "Okay," he says. "Patty, go tell the others, and see if Joe's had any luck tracking Woodward down." She nods and walks away, and Eddie looks to the other three. "Cisco, we still need to know who hacked your system, but once you get access again the first priority is helping find Woodward. Caitlin, make sure you have all the details exactly right, okay? The last thing we need is a broken Flash and an even angrier Girder." They nod and turn to get to work, and Eddie looks over at Barry. "Can I uh, talk to you?" He says softly.

"It's a free country," Barry mumbles, picking at a loose thread on his glove.

Eddie sighs and rolls his eyes then takes Barry's hand. "Come here," he says, leading him into a small office off the main lab. "Look Barry, I'm sorry," he says, turning to look at him. "I shouldn't have compared you to the man that killed your parents. I just... I was worried about you. I still am."

"I can take care of myself," Barry says, looking down at where Eddie is still holding his hand.

"You shouldn't have to though," Eddie replies. "And, for what it's worth, I really do appreciate that you're helping us with this."

"Like I said, I didn't come for you," Barry says, finally pulling his hand back. "You were right. I was doing the wrong things, even if I did have a good reason. After I left your place I realized, what if the Man in Yellow thinks he's doing the right thing? What if... What if I am turning into him?"

" _Hey_." Eddie reaches a careful hand out and squeezes Barry's shoulder. "Look at me." Barry looks up with a frown and Eddie sighs. "I'm sorry I ever put that idea in your head," he says. "Helping track down metas, trying to find the Man in Yellow... You're doing great things for this city. You're saving lives. Hell, you've saved my life more than once."

Barry frowns and looks away again. "After I put you in danger in the first place," he mumbles.

"Maybe, but it wasn't intentional," Eddie replies. "And you still saved me. The Man in Yellow isn't doing any of that." He squeezed Barry's shoulder again and smiles at him. "I believe in you, Barry."

Barry looks up again and smiles softly. He hesitates for a moment before he leans in and presses a quick kiss to Eddie's cheek. "Thanks," he says, leaning back to look at him. 

The gold flecks in Barry's eyes seem to shine now, more than usual, and Eddie could get lost just staring at them. His own eyes flick to Barry's lips briefly then back up to meet his eyes, and Eddie's senses are flooded with the memory of Barry kissing him. Of himself kissing back. He leans in ever so slightly and realizes that Barry must have leaned in too because he can feel Barry's breath fan across his lips and those eyes... Those mesmerizing hazel eyes with the gold flecks... They're mere inches from his own. Eddie's breath hitches and he leans in even closer, practically buzzing with anticipation. Just a little closer and--

A pen hits the window and the moment comes crashing down. "Hey guys!" Cisco calls. "I got my system back online and I think you should see this!"

Barry huffs out a chuckle and leans away, running a hand through his hair, and Eddie snaps back to reality. He almost kissed Barry. Again. He clears his throat and shoves his hands in his pocket. "Um... Are we good?" He asks.

Barry smirks. "We're good," he says with a smirk. "Come on, Thawne. We have a meta to take down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to leave a Kudos and/or a comment... it feeds the author ;) And check me out on Twitter and Tumblr @ Starkidmack!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie goes looking for trouble, and finds it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even gonna pretend like I have an excuse y'all. I'm sorry, I forgot about last week! To make up for it, this next chapter is jam-packed with words! Lots of words! All for you to read and enjoy!
> 
> And if you do enjoy those words... maybe consider leaving a kudos or a comment? And telling your friends about the words that you enjoyed? Thanks!

"What are we looking at, Cisco?" Barry says as he leans in to look at the computer monitor.

"That," Cisco replies, zooming in on the cell phone footage he found online, "is the aftermath of Girder's rampage at an apartment building a few minutes ago. Luckily nobody was home."

Eddie leans over as well and frowns as he looks at the destruction. The entire corner of a building is gone, smashed through completely, revealing the inside of an apartment. "Is that Iris's?" He asks.

"Eddie, I think that's... Your apartment," Barry says.

Eddie's eyes go wide and he reaches over Cisco, zooming in again. Sure enough, it is his building, and judging by how far up the destruction is, it's his apartment. "But why would he be after me?" Eddie asks. "I hardly worked his case. I wasn't his arresting officer. How would he even know where I lived?"

"How do _you_ know where Detective Thawne lives?" Caitlin asks, peering at Barry with a cocked head.

Barry clenches his jaw and balls up his fists at his side. "Not important. Do you know where he is now?" He asks through gritted teeth.

Cisco glances over his shoulder then to his monitors again and cracks his knuckles. "I've been dying to run this new facial recognition software," he says with a smirk. "Stand back boys." Cisco starts typing furiously and pulls up screens with algorithms and a facial scan on one monitor, and what looks like traffic cameras on the other.

"Do I even want to ask if you have the permits for this tech?" Eddie asks as he watches.

"Not if you want to have plausible deniability," Cisco mumbles as his fingers fly over the keys.

Barry rolls his eyes. "Jesus, you and Hart are two sides of the same coin, I don't know why you guys hate each other so much," he says. 

Cisco grabs another pen and chucks it in Barry's general direction then goes back to working. After another minute of furious typing, he smirks. "Gotcha!" He spins around and gestures to his computer screen. "Traffic cams got him entering a building ten seconds ago. Thermal imaging has him on the main floor."

Eddie leans in and looks at the screen, and his stomach drops. "Cisco, that's the police station," he says faintly. He pulls his radio off of his belt and swallows hard. "All units be advised, meta-human Tony Woodward AKA Girder was last seen entering the police station. Possibly armed, very dangerous, do not engage. I repeat, do not engage." He clips it back on and looks at Barry. "I... I have to go," he says. 

Barry nods. "Call us when you're ready for me," he says. He grabs Eddie's hand and gives it a quick squeeze. "Be safe."

"You too," Eddie replies, squeezing back. "I'll see you soon." He spares one more glance to Cisco and Caitlin then runs outside. He explains the situation to Patty and the rest of the officers on their team as they climb back into the SUV they came in, siren blaring as they take off.

As they drive, Patty tries to call Iris, but she doesn't answer, so Patty tries again. And again. "She's not answering..." Patty says after the third failed call, furrowing her brow in worry. "If she's not already there, she won't know. We have to-- I need to--"

"Hey." Eddie glances over at Patty then back to the road. "She'll be fine. She can handle herself, you know that."

"I know, but..." Patty chews on her lip as she looks down at her phone, typing out a text. "We got in a fight yesterday. I wanted to tell Joe but she freaked out and I stormed off. Now she's not answering my calls. What if… Eddie, What if—”

"You can't start with that, Patty," Eddie says firmly. "Iris will be okay and you two can sort it out later. You have to focus on Tony now though alright? And the rest of the CCPD that may be trapped inside with him."

Patty takes a deep breath and nods. "Okay," she says. "What... What's the plan when we get there?"

Eddie glances in the rearview mirror to the rest of the team then back to the road. "We'll coordinate with Joe. You guys try to get as many people out as possible. I'll go after Woodward."

"Not by yourself you won't," Patty says sternly. "You can't face him alone!"

"He destroyed my apartment, Patty," Eddie counters. "He's after me this time. I need to use that as a distraction until the Flash gets there, and I'm not letting you risk your lives for me."

Patty frowns. "I can't talk you out of this, can I?"

"Nope," Eddie replies with a small smile, one he hopes doesn't betray how scared he actually is. 

They get to the police station after another few minutes and they can see Joe and captain Singh giving directions to several other officers as a SWAT team sets up a perimeter to keep the growing crowd back.

"Joe! Captain!" Eddie calls as they walk over. "What's the status?"

Singh sighs, lowering his tactical binoculars and turning his scowl to Eddie. "Woodward's inside with several other officers," he says. "He's demanding to see you. Christ, first day back from suspension and you're already in the middle of some meta-human crisis." Singh frowns and crosses his arms. "What's going on, Thawne?"

Eddie shakes his head and looks up at the building. "I have no idea," he says. "Woodward destroyed my apartment specifically. I have no connection to him at all that I'm aware of though."

"Joe, where's Iris?" Patty asks. "She wasn't answering our calls."

Joe furrows his brow. "Mine either," he says. "She might be inside too but we don't have a visual yet to confirm."

Patty's face falls, and Eddie sighs. "I'm going in," he says.

"Like hell!" Singh replies. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm letting you go in there!"

Eddie scrubs a hand over his face. "Sir, Woodward is after me. If I can distract him long enough, you can get everyone else out safely."

"And then what?" Joe asks. "Do you have the BOOT?"

"It was destroyed," Eddie says. "But Dr. Snow came up with a way for the Flash to help." He looks between Joe and Singh and sets his jaw. "I need five minutes, that's it," he says.

Singh huffs out a frustrated sigh then unfolds his arms. "If you die, I'll kill you myself," he says, pushing past Eddie. He storms back over a minute later with a bulletproof vest in one hand and a mic and earpiece in the other. "Here." He hands them over and crosses his arms again. "Five minutes, that's all you get, then we're coming in after you."

"Yes sir," Eddie replies as he fastens the vest on. He looks to Patty then to Joe as he clips on the mic. "Get in touch with STAR Labs. Tell them to send the Flash when he's ready." He looks back to Patty and gives her an encouraging smile then takes a deep breath and starts towards the entrance to the building. 

As he approaches, he can see through the windows that Tony is standing in the middle of the lobby holding an officer up by his neck, and a few other officers have their guns trained on him. After taking another deep breath, Eddie draws his gun and opens the door slowly. "Tony," he says carefully as he walks in. "Put him down."

Tony's entire body changes to metal and he drops the officer, then spins around. "Detective Thawne, about time," he says with a sneer.

Eddie does a quick look around and sees a few other officers, and Iris, hiding behind a few upturned desks. "I'm here now," he says, looking up to the meta. "Let the rest of these guys go. You don't want to hurt these people."

Tony gives a half grin. "Nobody leaves 'til I say they can," he growls.

He starts to stalk forward but Eddie cocks his gun so Tony stops with an amused smirk. "Wait, tell me what you want from me at least," Eddie says, trying to keep his voice even. "What did I do to you?"

"Not me," Tony says, "but you pissed someone off. He said he'd get me out, said he'd fix me up real good if I killed you."

"He who?" Eddie presses. "Who wants me dead?"

Tony smirks and steps forward again. He grabs Eddie's gun and crushes it like its made out of foil then drops the crumpled piece of metal to the ground. “And he has a message for you," he says. He shoots his arm out and grabs Eddie by the throat, lifting him off the ground. “You should have minded your own business.”

Eddie gasps for breath, scrambling to try to pull at Tony's hand to no avail. "Please," he gasps. "Please, don't do this!"

"It's already done," Tony growls. 

His fingers tighten around Eddie's throat and spots start to swarm in Eddie's vision. The last thing he sees is a bright flash of lightning, and then darkness.

***

“What are you doing here Barry?”

“Checking on him. Y’know, since he almost died thanks to you.”

“It’s not my fault he decided to walk in there!”

“Yeah, well you could have tried harder to stop him, Joe.”

Eddie groans and blinks his eyes open slowly. The bright lights give way to blurry shapes that give way to familiar faces, and it doesn’t take long to figure out he’s laying in a hospital. Joe is standing with his back to Eddie, hands on his hips. Past Joe, Eddie can see Barry standing at the door, out of his Flash costume, fiddling with one of the several rings that adorn his fingers. 

Eddie tries to sit up but his head starts spinning. He groans again and the pain in this throat makes him wince.

“Hey, guys,” comes Patty’s voice. “Knock it off, he’s awake.” Eddie looks over and sees Patty and Iris leaning against the windowsill, Iris’ arm tucked around Patty’s waist. 

“Hi…” Eddie mumbles, then winces again at the pain in his throat.

“Don’t try to talk,” Joe says as he walks over and presses the call button. “Doc says you have pretty significant damage to your your vocal cords on top of your concussion.”

Eddie frowns and looks past Joe to see Barry still hovering near the door. “Hi,” he whispers with a smile.

Barry smiles and pushes past Joe, coming over to Eddie and taking his hand. “Hey,” he says, dropping into the chair by Eddie’s bed. “You gave us a pretty good scare.”

“What happened?” Eddie asks in a whisper.

“Woodward got a good grip on you,” Joe says. “Nearly killed you. The Flash showed up and knocked his ass out, but you hit your head pretty hard when Tony dropped you.”

Eddie looks over to Barry and smiles. “You saved me,” he whispers.

Barry rolls his eyes. “You hit your head more than just pretty hard,” he says. “ _The Flash_ saved you. I’m just here to make sure my favorite detective isn’t gonna bite it.” He squeezes Eddie’s hand and smiles again. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he says.

“Me too,” Eddie mumbles.

“Mister Thawne, you’re awake,” comes a voice. Eddie looks up to see a nurse walking in. “Alright, I gotta get in here, excuse me honey,” she says, shooing Barry away. 

Barry frowns but nods. He squeezes Eddie’s hand once more before getting up and moving aside. The nurse steps in and presses a button to sit Eddie’s bed up, then starts checking his vitals. “You’re lucky the Flash showed up,” she says.

“Very lucky,” Eddie mumbles, looking over to Barry with a smile.

“Ah-ah, no talking,” the nurse says. “Not even whispering, or you could damage your vocal cords even more.” She picks up a whiteboard and marker off the bedside table and hands it to him.

Eddie frowns but takes it, then scrawls out a message and turns the board around.

“How long?” The nurse reads. “Well, I’m not quite sure. Probably a few weeks at least. Your doctor will have more answers.” She shines a light in his eyes and has him track her finger, then sighs. “Well, you’re still concussed. Between the head trauma and your neck injury, the doctor will probably want to keep you overnight.”

Eddie frowns and wipes his writing off the whiteboard, then writes out another message and turns it around.

“You want your phone for writing instead?” the nurse asks after she reads it. “Well… Fine. But with your concussion, it might hurt your eyes. Just use it sparingly okay?” She scribbles a few things down then looks at Eddie again. “I’m going to go talk to your doctor, we’ll come back a little later.”

She turns to walk out the door and Eddie sighs, setting the whiteboard aside. “Where’s my phone?” he whispers.

“Eddie, she said you can’t talk,” Patty says with an eye roll, leaving Iris’ side and walking over. She picks a blue plastic bag up off the ground. “Your stuff should be in here.” She rifles through it then finds his phone and hands it to him.

Eddie takes it and smiles and looks at Patty, then over to Iris. He types out a quick message and shows it to Patty, who grins. “Yeah, we told him,” she says.

“Wait, Eddie knew?” Joe asks, watching Patty with bewilderment as she walks back over to Iris and leans into her side.

Eddie huffs out a breathy chuckle and types something out on his phone, then hands it to Joe.

Joe takes the phone and reads the message, then hands it back with a frown. “What the hell do you mean everyone knew?” he asks.

Iris just laughs. “Dad, we can talk about it later,” she says. She looks to Eddie and smiles. “You saved my life, Eddie. Thank you.”

“He saved a lot of lives,” Barry says from where he’s leaning against the wall. “The city’s lucky to have him.”

Joe frowns and turns to look at Barry. “I still don’t get why you’re here, Barry,” he says. “How do you even know what happened?”

“Dad!” Iris hisses.

Eddie rolls his eyes and starts typing something out, but Barry pushes off from the wall and walks up to Joe. “It was all over the news, the entire city knows what happened,” he replies. “And I told you, I’m checking on him. But it’s not really any of your business.”

“Of course it’s my business, he’s my partner,” Joe says, folding his arms.

“Yeah well he’s my…” Barry pauses and looks over at Eddie over Joe’s shoulder. “He’s my friend. And I care about him.”

Joe shakes his head. “I don’t believe it for a minute. Whatever con you're trying to pull, whatever game this is, I don’t buy it. Just… go home, Barry.”

Barry looks back to Joe with a glare. “Why don’t you kiss my—”

“Hey!” Eddie rasps, wincing at the strain from trying to yell. Joe and Barry turn to look at him, each with a concerned expression. “Patty, would you read this?” He finishes typing then holds his phone out and frowns at Joe and Barry.

Patty steps forward and takes the phone. “Um… Yeah. Uh…” Her eyes skim over the message and she huffs out a chuckle. “You’re both being assholes,” she reads. “Joe is my partner and I respect him, but Barry has as much right to be here as the rest of you. I know you have a problem with each other but if you’re not going to be civil, you can both leave.”

Joe sighs. “Sorry,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Barry folds his arms and Eddie looks to him expectantly. With a huff, Barry drops his arms. “Fine. Sorry,” he replies petulantly.

Patty smirks and hands Eddie his phone back. “You’re good at that,” she says. “But no more talking.” She walks back over to Iris and kisses her cheek, then leans into her side.

Joe watches them unsurely for a moment then eyes Barry warily and sighs. “I… think I’m gonna go for some coffee,” he says, looking back down to Eddie. “Anyone want anything?”

Iris glances over to Barry and Eddie then smirks and looks at her dad again. “We’ll go with you,” she says, tugging Patty’s hand. “C’mon. Barry, do you want anything?”

Barry shakes his head. “No thanks,” he replies. “I’m gonna stay with Eddie.”

“Okay. It really was good to see you again, Barr,” she says. 

“Yeah, you too,” Barry says with a soft smile. He comes over and sits next to Eddie again as the other three walk out. “How do you feel?” he asks. Eddie rolls his eyes and gives a sarcastic thumbs up, and Barry laughs. “Okay, fair enough.” He reaches for Eddie’s hand and takes it in his own, kissing the tops of his knuckles. “I really am glad you’re alive though,” he says softly.

“Me too,” Eddie whispers.

Barry rolls his eyes. “You have to stop doing that if you ever want your voice back,” he chides. “I appreciate the effort though.” He’s silent for a few moments, rubbing his thumb along the back of Eddie’s hand softly before he finally speaks up. “Did you find out why he was after you?” he asks softly.

Eddie pulls his hand back and picks up his phone to type out a response. When he finishes, he shows it to Barry.

“Someone wanted him to kill you?” Barry asks, looking up from the phone. “You think it was the Man in Yellow?” Eddie nods and Barry sets his jaw. “He’s gonna pay for what he’s done to you,” he says.

Eddie reaches over to squeeze Barry’s hand with a smile, but after another moment he pulls back and starts typing again. He deletes the message and retypes it all twice before settling on the one he wants to show Barry. With a deep breath, he hands the phone over.

Barry reads it and frowns. “What do you mean?” he asks, handing the phone back. “We made up. Nothing else happened between us at STAR. There’s nothing to talk about.” Eddie rolls his eyes and types again, then hands the phone back to Barry. Barry reads the new message and sighs, setting the phone aside. “I’m not in denial, and almost only counts with horseshoes and grenades,” he says. “Nothing actually happened.” He looks down at his lap and fiddles with one of his rings, then looks up again. “Did…. you want it to?”

Eddie is silent for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thinks of what to say before reaching for his phone. He types quickly then holds the phone up.

Barry reads it and frowns again. “That’s not an answer,” he says. Eddie scowls and shakes his phone, and Barry groans. “I came because I care about you!” he says in exasperation. “I had to know that you weren’t dead, that you weren’t gonna leave me like everyone else does.”

Eddie frowns and sets his phone aside. He takes another deep breath before reaching for Barry’s face and pulling him in, pressing their lips together softly. When Eddie pulls back, he smiles, reaching a hand up to run through Barry’s hair. “You’re stuck with me,” he whispers.

Barry is frozen for a moment, watching Eddie with a stunned expression before leaning in and kissing him again, more urgent than before. When he leans back, he smiles. “Nobody else I want to be stuck with.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie has a few people in his corner. And some who... aren't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is nothing but shameless fluff and an excuse to introduce one of my favorite OC's. Not much plot happening here this week haha.  
> As always, if you liked what you read, drop a kudos or a comment!

Eddie’s doctor winds up keeping him in the hospital for two nights. Barry stays with him as much as possible, barely leaving his side. He sleeps in the bedside chair leaning over Eddie. He brings Eddie food that doesn’t suck. And when Eddie’s finally discharged on his third day, Barry is there to help him collect his things and get ready to go. 

“Thanks for your help,” Eddie whispers, walking over to Barry with a smile, settling his hands on Barry’s waist.

“Stop that,” Barry chides. “No talking, or it’ll be longer until I can hear your voice again.” He smirks and leans in, kissing Eddie’s forehead softly. “Now, are you sure you don’t want to come home with me? I have a bed. And... a… fridge?”

Eddie smiles and pulls back, retrieving his phone from his pocket. He types out a quick response then shows it to Barry.

“That’s rude,” Barry says when he reads the message. “My apartment is not a roach motel. I haven’t even seen a roach in there in like, a week.” Eddie smiles again and Barry rolls his eyes. “You’re a dick,” Barry mumbles. “Well where are you gonna go? Last I checked there’s a huge hole in the side of your apartment. I mean, is there anyone I need to call?”

“The hospital took care of that already,” a woman’s voice responds. Eddie looks over Barry’s shoulder and his eyes go wide when he sees his mother walk in. “Seems we’re still listed as your emergency contacts, Edward.” She eyes Barry, takes in his piercings and makeup and general appearance, and raises an eyebrow. “And you are?”

Barry smirks. “Barry Allen,” he replies, holding his hand out. “I’m…” He glances to Eddie then back to the woman. “I’m a friend of Eddie’s. And you?”

“Edith Thawne. His mother.” She shakes Barry’s hand politely then looks to her son with a small smile, wiping her hand off on her slacks. “Let’s go son, we’re going to stop by your apartment to get your things, then you’re coming to stay with us until we can find you a new place.”

Eddie sighs and nods. “One second,” he whispers. He looks over at Barry and smiles sadly. He wants to go to him, kiss him, but Eddie knows that isn’t happening with his mother in the room. So with a sigh, Eddie pulls up a new text message and types out a message, then sends it off. 

Barry’s phone buzzes a moment later and he pulls the phone out, frowning when he sees a text from Eddie.

[[I’d kiss you but I don’t want to offend Mrs. Thawne’s delicate sensibilities ;) I’ll see you later?]]

Barry frowns again but nods. “Yeah, I’ll see you later,” he says softly. He pats Eddie’s shoulder as he walks by and gives him a parting glance before walking out of the room.

With a sigh, Eddie types out a new message and hands the phone to his mother. She rolls her eyes and takes it, her face softening when she reads the message. “No talking for at least two weeks?” she asks. “Well, no matter. Let’s get you out of here and we’ll figure the rest out later.” She smiles and kisses Eddie’s head as she walks past.

Eddie frowns but continues after her. He signs his discharge papers then follows his mom out to the car and has just climbed into the passenger seat when his phone buzzes with a text from Barry.

[[do they know u play for more than 1 team?]]

Eddie glances to his mom and sighs before texting back.

[[They know. They just aren’t fond of the idea.]]

[[how not fond?]]

[[Pretty not fond. I came out when i was dating this guy in college and they told me not to come home for the holidays. Didn’t talk to me for a few months actually. So.]]

Barry doesn’t text back right away and Eddie suddenly worries that it was an overshare, that Barry is going to think less of him for not standing up to his family. He’s halfway worked into a panic when his phone finally buzzes with another text.

[[is that what we are? dating?]]

Eddie bites the inside of his lip and quickly sends off a response before he can second-guess himself.

[[Is that what you want us to be?]]

When no response comes after a few minutes, Eddie drops his phone into his lap and leans his head against the window, trying to focus on anything else besides what Barry’s response might be.

“Who’s got you so worked up sweetie?” Edith asks, glancing over at her son.

Eddie frowns. “Nobody,” he whispers.

“Is it that Barry from the hospital? Your… friend?”

Eddie sighs and looks over at his mom. “No mother,” he responds. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

Edith reaches over and pats Eddie’s leg. “You’re my son, I’ll always worry,” she says. They pull up to Eddie’s apartment a minute later and she frowns as she looks up at the gaping hole in the side of the building. “A… meta-human did this?” she asks quietly. Eddie frowns and well and nods. “Why? Why you?”

“Because I’m good at my job,” Eddie whispers with a smile. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Making his way into the building, Eddie sees that the front door of his apartment is blocked off with police tape but he pushes the door open and steps under the tape easily. His living room is a mess, bits of furniture and debris from the hole in the wall strewn everywhere. Eddie picks through some of the debris and sighs when he finds a picture of him and his sisters. The frame is smashed, but at least the photo is in tact, so he shakes the bits of broken glass off then folds it and slips it into his pocket. 

He walks into his bedroom and sees that it’s in as much disarray as the living room. The bed is overturned, the dresser drawers are dumped out, and the closet doors hang off their hinges. It almost looks like a hurricane blew through.

“Wow, it’s a disaster in here.”

Eddie whips around and his hand goes to his sidearm on instinct, but when he sees Barry standing at the door, he breathes a sigh of relief and drops his arm. “Jesus, you scared me,” he whispers. “What are you doing here?”

“You need to stop talking,” Barry says with a fond smile. “And I wanted to talk to you in person. I figured if you weren’t here, I could still maybe look around, see if anything was salvageable.” He smiles and walks over to Eddie carefully, kissing him softly.

Eddie kisses back with a content sigh, and when they break apart, he grins. “Wha—“ Barry frowns when Eddie starts to talk, so Eddie rolls his eyes and grabs his phone out of his pocket to type, then hands it to Barry.

Barry reads the message then hands the phone back. “I want to talk to you about your question,” he says, shrugging and shoving his hands into his pockets. “Eddie, I… Look, I like you a lot, which is saying something because I don’t like anyone. But… Casual is probably best right now. I’m not… I’m not good for you, y’know?”

Eddie frowns. “What the hell do you mean?” he whispers.

Barry frowns, running a hand through his hair. “I mean I’m not your type according to you,” he replies. “I’m a criminal, Eddie. A bad guy. You’re like this because of me for Christ’s sake! I just… I think we need to take a step back before one of us gets hurt even more.”

Eddie starts to respond out loud but thinks better of it, and begins typing a message out instead. He types rapidly, trying to get out everything he would say out loud if he could. Barry watches him type in silence for a few moments, fidgeting with one of his rings. When Eddie finishes, he hands the phone to Barry and crosses his arms. “Read it,” he whispers.

[[I was being stupid when I said you weren’t my type. I was trying to convince myself but it didn’t work out so well for me. You’re exactly my type, Barry. You’re handsome and smart and funny, even if you can be a sarcastic asshole. It’s part of your charm. You’re right that you’re a criminal, but you’re not a bad guy. You’re not malicious or evil. You’re doing what you have to do in order to survive. You’ve saved my life over and over too, and bad guys don’t do that. The only reason I’m like this now is because of Girder and whoever sent him after me. That’s it. You’re a HERO. I care about you a lot and I’m not worried about getting hurt if we do this, and you shouldn’t be either.]]

Barry reads the whole message and a small smile spreads across his face, and Eddie can see tears welling up in his eyes. “You think I’m handsome?” Barry asks as he hands Eddie’s phone back.

“Of course that’s what you got out of that,” Eddie whispers. “I want to try this with you, Barry. I think it could be really good.”

Barry grins and pulls Eddie in for another kiss, wrapping his arms around Eddie’s neck. Eddie leans in and grips Barry’s waist, kissing back enthusiastically. When they finally break apart, Barry nods. “I think it could be too,” he says.

“Good,” Eddie whispers with a grin. “Now will you help me pack before my mother comes looking?”

Barry grins. “Yes, but only if you promise to stop talking.” He pecks Eddie’s lips then zips around the room in a flash of lightning. He stops a few moments later with Eddie’s large suitcase gripped in his hands and a proud smile across his face. “I think I got most of the important stuff,” he says.

Eddie types out a quick message and hands his phone to Barry. When he reads it, Barry grins. “You’re right, I am the best,” he replies. “Okay. You better get back. I’ll text you later okay?”

Eddie gives a thumbs up, then leans in to kiss Barry gently. Barry deepens the kiss momentarily then pulls back with a smile. He winks at Eddie then zips away in a flash of lightning, and Eddie just grins after him. He’s pulled from the moment when his phone buzzes a second later though and he sees it’s a text from his mom asking where he is. Sighing in aggravation, Eddie slips his phone into his pocket and drags his suitcase behind him. The next few weeks, he thinks, are going to be interesting to say the least.

***

Eddie is barely through the door of his parents’ house when he’s attacked. He’s wrapped in an embrace so tight it nearly knocks the air out of him and he huffs out a chuckle, setting the suitcase aside. “Ellie, hey,” he whispers with a grin, wrapping his arms around his youngest sister. “I missed you.”

“I was so worried!” the teen mumbles, burying her face in Eddie’s chest. “When we heard what you did on the news and then when mom said you were in the hospital…” She finally looks up at her big brother with a frown. “I can’t lose my only brother. You promised you would be safe!”

“Yes but you have four other sisters to replace me with,” Eddie whispers with a smile.

Ellie smacks Eddie’s shoulder. “That’s not funny you jerk,” she says with a frown. “And why are you whispering like that?”

“Because he’s not supposed to be talking. At all,” Edith calls, walking back into the entryway. “Elizabeth, why don’t you help your brother put his things away then you can both come set the table? Your father should be home soon.”

“Yes mother,” Ellie replies. Edith smiles and walks into the kitchen and Ellie and Eddie roll their eyes at each other. “I’m glad you’re here,” Ellie says in a hushed tone as she follows Eddie upstairs. “I’m going crazy. It was a nice break at Christmas when you were all here but the last few weeks have been hell since the Ev and Eloise went back to school! I need a buffer, Ed!”

Eddie just chuckles. “I told you that you can come stay with me any time you want,” he whispers. “Just give it some time. You’ve only got three more years ’til you’re eighteen and you can be on your own.”

“You’re never home though,” Ellie points out. “Even if you were, there’s a giant hole in the side of your apartment now. And anyway, three years is forever. I’m not gonna last that long!”

Eddie chuckles again. They get to his old room and he pushes the door open, sighing some. Setting his suitcase aside, he pulls his phone out to type out a message and hands it to his sister. “Read it,” he whispers as he sits on his bed. “I really shouldn’t be talking.”

Ellie takes the phone and reads the message, rolling her eyes when she finishes. “Stick it out? That’s easy for you to say, you never had to be alone with them,” she says, flopping back on the bed next to her brother. “Mom keeps trying to take me shopping for these like, girly dresses. And dad’s totally nuts! He keeps talking about this meta-human surveillance bill he’s trying to get passed, like metas aren’t really people and we need to spy on all of them. Can you believe it?”

Realizing she’s still holding Eddie’s phone, Ellie starts to hand it over when it buzzes in her hand. “Hey Ed? Who’s Barry?” she asks, looking down at the text. “And why’s he sending you winky emojis?”

Eddie makes to grab the phone from his sister but she rolls away and stands, smirking as she starts to read through the texts. “Wait, are you—” Her smirk quickly fades to a frown though and she looks up. “You... You're...." Eddie steels himself for the worst, but Ellie just shakes her head. "That’s why you weren’t here that year,” she says softly, handing the phone back. “I was what, four? They told us you were um…” She walks back over and sits next to Eddie. “Snowed in is what they said, I think. I thought it was so cool, that you got to um. Play in the snow on Christmas. I wanted to visit you and play in the snow too.”

Eddie frowns. “You weren’t supposed to know that,” he whispers. “I…” He sighs and dismisses the text, then types out another message and hands his phone back to Ellie.

She reads the message then hands the phone back. “You told them to tell us that?” she asks. “Why?” Eddie types another message out and hands it back. When Ellie reads it again, she smiles sadly. “You didn’t want us to hate mom and dad…” she says. “Do the other girls know?”

Eddie purses his lips and takes his phone back to respond with another message, then gives it to Ellie again. “Just Erica?” she asks. “So Emily, and the twins—“

“Have no idea,” Eddie whispers. “It needs to stay that way, El. Mom and dad didn’t want you all to know. I had to tell my big sister, but the rest of you were too young to understand.”

Ellie purses her lips. “Knowing our parents I guess that makes sense,” she says, rolling her eyes. “But wait, what about that girl cop you were dating?”

Eddie rasps out a chuckle. “Patty and I only went out a few times and decided we’re better as friends,” he replies. “I’m not gay or straight, El. I’m… queer, I guess? Never put a label to it. Just dated people I liked.”

“So you and this Barry? You’re…?”

Eddie grins and nods. “Yeah, we are,” he replies. “Are you um… is that okay?”

Ellie rolls her eyes and shoves Eddie’s shoulder. “Don’t be stupid, of course it’s okay,” she says. “I’m a lot smarter than our parents, Ed. I don’t really give a crap who you date as long as they’re good for you.”

Eddie smiles and pulls Ellie into a hug, kissing her head. “I love you, kid,” he whispers. “Okay. Help me get this stuff put away before mom comes looking for us.”

Ellie jumps up and smiles. “Yes sir,” she says with a grin.

She starts to unpack Eddie’s suitcase while Eddie picks up his phone again and looks at the text Barry sent, smiling as he types out his own reply.

[[are u going crazy yet? ;) ]]

[[Not yet. But the day’s not over lol. What are your plans for the rest of the day?]]

[[yknow. robbing banks, blowing up buildings.]]

Eddie rolls his eyes and starts typing a response when Barry texts again.

[[that was a joke btw. harts teaching me some hacker stuff but its super boring tbh]]

[[I’m a cop, Barry.]]

[[i didnt say i was actually hacking anything!]]

Eddie smirks at his phone and starts to type out a response when he’s hit in the face with a sock ball. “I’m not unpacking all your clothes for you,” Ellie says. “Let’s go, officer.”

Eddie rolls his eyes and finishes sending off his text, then gets up to start helping his sister put his clothes away, ruffling her hair as he walks by.

[[It’s a good thing you’re cute, Allen ;) ]]


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Barry get some alone time. And then... some not so alone time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fluff ahead! Trust me, y'all are gonna need it... :P We're headed into the last half of this fic, and I'm so excited for the story to unfold! Thanks to everyone who's read and shared the story so far. If you like what you've read, make sure to leave a kudos and a comment, and share it with your pals! And you can find me across social media @ Starkidmack.
> 
> Thanks!

The next couple weeks pass surprisingly easy for Eddie. Even though his voice starts to come back, he has his injury as an excuse to get out of talking to his parents directly and while Singh puts him on desk duty, at least Eddie’s allowed to come back to work at all. The Man in Yellow is pretty much silent too now that Eddie isn’t poking around so much.

Ellie comes to hang out at the station after school some days which is a nice change, and after work, Eddie gets to hang out with Barry. Some nights it’s coffee at Jitters, some nights it’s dinner at a hole-in-the-wall Italian place, and some nights it’s making out in the back of a movie theatre. Or in Eddie’s car. Or leaning against the counter in Barry’s kitchen.

They find themselves engaging in the latter one evening, Barry perched on his counter and Eddie situated between his legs snugly, their dinner forgotten on the table behind them. Eddie drags his lips down Barry’s jaw to his neck, and Barry literally vibrates in pleasure. He grips Eddie’s shirt tightly and tilts his head, stretching his neck to give Eddie better access. “Shit, don’t stop,” he mumbles.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Eddie says softly into Barry’s skin. He leans up again to claim Barry’s lips again in a bruising kiss, nipping at Barry’s bottom lip. “Should we—hm—maybe move somewhere more comfortable?”

Barry groans and pulls back, looking at Eddie with a serious expression. “I can work with that." In an instant, Eddie is on his back in the middle of Barry’s mattress. “How’s that for comfortable?” Barry mumbles, leaning down to kiss and nip along Eddie’s neck.

“Better,” Eddie mumbles. Barry sucks harshly at a spot on Eddie’s neck and at the same time rocks against him slowly. Eddie gasps, gripping Barry’s back tightly. “God...”

“Actually,” Barry mumbles with a smirk. “It’s Barry. But God works too.”

“Oh shut up,” Eddie breathes.

“Make me,” Barry challenges, leaning up just enough to look down at Eddie with a smirk.

Eddie smirks back and in a swift move has Barry pinned to the bed and hovers over him. “Like this?” he asks, leaning in to kiss Barry again. Barry hums against Eddie’s lips and his hands start to move down, teasing along Eddie's sides before slipping up under his shirt. Eddie hums at the contact and sits up with a smile. “Let me make that easier for you,” he says, loosening his tie then working at the button on his shirt.

Barry watches him for a moment before getting impatient and reaching up to pull off Eddie’s tie and unbutton his shirt in the blink of an eye. “Let me make that easier for you,” Barry says with a smirk as he pushes the garment from Eddie’s shoulders

“You’re such a smartass,” Eddie mumbles, tossing his shirt and tie aside and quickly pulling his undershirt over his head.

“You love my ass,” Barry replies, running his hands up Eddie’s chest slowly. 

“It is a nice one,” Eddie says with a grin. He reaches down and starts rucking up Barry’s shirt too, finally pulling it off and discarding it as well. He leans down again to kiss Barry, then trails his lips down his neck to his bare chest, sliding down his body ever so slowly, taking his time to cover every inch of skin with a kiss. As he goes, he makes a mental note to ask Barry about the scars later. 

“You’re—hm—you’re beautiful, you know that?” Eddie mumbles into Barry’s skin.

“So I’ve been told,” Barry replies breathily, a hand on the back of Eddie’s head. “God that feels good,” he mumbles. 

Eddie smirks and leans up to kiss Barry’s lips again when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls back with a groan but Barry makes grabby hands and pull him back in. “Ignore it,” Barry breathes, sucking harshly at Eddie’s neck again.

Eddie’s gasp turns into a soft moan as he tilts his head, fully intending to do what Barry said and ignore his phone, but it buzzes again. “Give me just… god damnit… give me just a sec okay,” he breathes as he leans up. and pulls his phone from his pocket. When he sees the texts, he frowns. “It’s my mom, she wants to know when I’m coming home tonight.”

“So tell her you’re working late,” Barry says, pushing himself up and kissing along Eddie’s chest. “You’re an adult, Eddie, you don’t have to report to them.”

“I know, but…” Eddie sighs and pulls Barry into a kiss. “I should probably go,” he mumbles.

Barry pulls back and pouts. “Why do that when you could stay and keep making out with a sexy half-naked speedster?” he asks.

Eddie rolls his eyes and pulls Barry into another kiss, sighing when he pulls back. “I want to, trust me, I do. But if I don’t come home tonight, it’ll be one hell of an interrogation tomorrow morning.”

“You don’t owe them anything,” Barry argues.

“They’re letting me stay with them rent-free. I owe them a lot,” Eddie replies as he rolls off of Barry, reaching over to pick his shirts up off the floor. He stands and pulls them on, looking down at Barry again. “Once I get a new place, one that doesn’t have a hole in the side of it, I’ll be able to spend more time with you.” He finishes buttoning up his shirt and grabs his tie to work on next. “I’m sorry Bear, I really am.”

Barry furrows his brow and stands as well. “I get that your parents aren’t like, cool with you dating guys, but this feels like we’re sneaking around,” he says, pouting as he pulls his own shirt back on. “Like I’m your dirty little secret. You get your rocks off then pretend I don’t exist.”

“Hey.” Eddie wraps and arm around Barry and kisses the side of his head. “You’re more than that to me, Barry. I like you a lot and I want the world to know it. But if I brought you to dinner with my family, I’d be homeless. We just… need to stick it out for a few more weeks okay? Until I can get my own place again.” He presses another kiss to the side of Barry’s head and smiles. “And besides, there hasn’t really been any rocks getting off. So.”

“You’re a dick,” Barry mumbles, rolling his eyes but smiling despite himself. “I just… wish I could see you more often than a few hours at night, y’know?”

Eddie sighs but nods. “I do know,” he says. “Tell you what, my parents are off the table, but maybe you can meet some of my sisters? I think they’d like you, and I think it would feel less like we’re sneaking.”

“Some?” Barry asks in bewilderment. “How many do you have?”

“Five,” Eddie replies, laughing at the way Barry’s eyes go wide. “Ellie, the youngest, knows about you already. Erica, the oldest, knows about me but doesn’t know I’m dating anyone right now.”

“And the other three?” Barry asks.

Eddie shrugs. “They have no idea. But I don’t think any of them would care. My sisters are all pretty great.”

Barry nods. He’s silent for a moment before leaning over to kiss Eddie. “I’d love to meet your sisters,” he says with a soft smile. “Just tell me where and when and I’ll be there.”

Eddie grins and leans in to kiss Barry again and sighs happily. “I will,” he mumbles, kissing Barry once more. When he pulls back, he reaches up to run a hand through Barry’s hair then stands, going over to grab his jacket and scarf off of Barry's table. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Barry nods and stands as well, walking over to a kiss Eddie’s cheek. “Yeah, I’ll see you.”

Eddie smiles and kisses Barry again, sighing against his lips. “Shit, okay, I really have to go or I’m never leaving,” he mumbles.

Barry laughs and turns Eddie around, pushing him towards the door. “Go home, you can kiss me later.”

Eddie gets to the door and smiles, turning again and leaning in to kiss Barry once more. “Goodnight superhero,” he mumbles against Barry’s lips.

“Goodnight, detective,” Barry replies with a grin.

***

At work the next day, Eddie barely has time to settle in at his desk before Patty walks over with a smirk. “So did you and Barry hang out last night?” she asks.

Eddie blushes and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, we did,” he says. “Why?”

“You go out or stay in?” she asks, reaching over to pull Eddie’s collar down. “Because you look like you were attacked by a vacuum cleaner.”

Eddie’s hand flies to his neck. “What?!” he asks, eyes wide. “Is it that noticeable?”

Patty laughs. “Yeah, it’s that noticeable,” she says, fixing his collar up again. “It looks like he tried to eat you.”

“Who tried to eat him?” Joe asks as he walks past and sits at his desk.

Eddie blushes and Patty laughs again. “Apparently Barry’s a vampire,” she says.

“It’s not that bad,” Eddie mumbles, rubbing a hand over the hickey. Joe frowns slightly and turns to rifle through his drawer, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by Eddie. “I’m an adult, Joe, I can make my own decisions. Including who to date.”

Joe sighs and looks up. “I know, I just… want you to be careful. Barry’s trouble, he has been his whole life.”

“You haven’t known him his whole life,” Eddie counters. “You gave up on him when he was still a kid, remember?”

Joe clenches his jaw and his frown deepens. “I know,” he says. “And I’m gonna pay for that mistake for the rest of my life. But I’m not the only one that’s made mistakes here, Eddie.”

“The difference is that Barry is learning from his mistakes,” Eddie points out. “He’s a better person now. Can you say the same?”

“Guys!” They both look over to Patty who’s standing with her hands on her hips. “You can bicker later. We have a job to do.”

Joe frowns at Eddie then looks up at Patty. “You’re right,” he says. “C’mon. We have a meeting with Harrison Wells. They’ve been working on a new dampener to replace the one Tony Woodward destroyed.”

Patty nods then looks over at Eddie. “We’ll be back in a bit,” she says with a small smile. “Let us know if anything comes up.”

“Yeah, will do,” Eddie replies, waving them off. They leave and Eddie sighs, settling in to work on some reports. 

By the time Ellie shows up that afternoon, Eddie has nearly finished the stack, but his stomach growls loudly and he realizes he worked through his lunch. “Jeez, don’t they let you eat around here?” Ellie asks as she drops into a chair by Eddie’s desk.

Eddie smiles and looks over at his sister. “I just lost track of time,” he says. “What do you say we go find some food?”

“I could eat,” Ellie replies. “What sounds good?”

Eddie shrugs. “We can do Big Belly,” he suggests. “Jitters is nearby too. There’s also this little restaurant Barry and I go to sometimes that has some pretty good take-out.” He looks over and sees Ellie grinning, and he rolls his eyes. “Shut up,” he mumbles. “Actually, speaking of Barry…”

“What about me?” calls a familiar voice

Eddie looks up to see Barry walking over and he grins. “Wow, am I hallucinating or did Barry Allen just willingly walk into a police station?” he teases, standing and kissing the other man’s cheek.

“You’re a jerk,” Barry replies with a grin, pressing a quick peck to Eddie’s lips. “I was just in the area, thought I’d swing by.” He looks over Eddie’s shoulder to Ellie, who’s starring at them with wide eyes, and then looks back to Eddie. “Um, I can uh, come back if this is a bad time though?”

Eddie shakes his head and smiles. “No, this is perfect actually. Barry, this is my sister Ellie. Ellie, this is Barry.”

Ellie smiles and gives a little wave, and Barry does the same. He looks back to Eddie and furrows his brow. “She’s one of the ones that knows right?” he asks.

“Yeah, obviously,” Ellie says, rolling her eyes. “He doesn’t shut up about you.”

Eddie blushes. “Thanks kid,” he mumbles. “Anyway. Um… Have you eaten, Bear? Me and Ellie were just talking about grabbing some lunch.”

Barry shrugs. “You know I’m always down for food,” he says. “How about pizza?”

Ellie’s face lights up. “Oh, pizza!” she exclaims. “I’m in! Can we, Ed?”

“Yeah Ed, can we?” Barry teases with a smirk.

Eddie smiles and rolls his eyes fondly. “Works for me,” he says. “Come on.” He grabs his jacket and slips his wallet into his pocket, then nods his head towards the entryway. “There’s a great little place up the block. It’s—“

“Thawne!” Eddie sighs when he hears the Captain call his name, and looks over to see him walking over. “I need—oh, are you going somewhere?”

Eddie nods. “We were about to go grab some lunch. But if there’s something you need...” 

Singh waves him off. “No, it can wait,” he says. “You and your sister go enjoy your lunch.” Barry clears his throat and shoves his hands in his pockets, and Singh finally looks over and acknowledges his presence. “…Who are you?” he asks.

Eddie pulls Barry over and smiles. “Captain, this is Barry,” he says. “My…” Eddie trails off and looks over to Barry. He realizes they haven’t really talked about labels, haven’t really used any. Eddie has no idea if a word like “boyfriend” would feel too serious to Barry, or if avoiding it would be too casual.

“Better half,” Barry interjects, glancing to Eddie with a small smile. Barry has never been more of a hero than in that moment, Eddie thinks.

“Oh, well…” Singh gives a tight smile and nods once. “Nice to meet you.” He regards Barry for another moment before narrowing his eyes. “Have I arrested you before?” he asks.

Eddie groans and drags a hand down his face, and he can hear Ellie giggling behind them. Barry just shrugs. “I mean, it’s possible,” he says. “I did some dumb stuff when I was a kid.”

Singh nods once. “Mhm…” he hums. “Well, Thawne has pretty good judgement. Most of the time. So if you’re alright with him, you’ll be alright with the rest of us. Just do me a favor, Thawne, and maybe break it easy to the Flash that you’re off the market. The last thing you need is a super-powered human getting jealous and possessive.”

Eddie blushes again and nods. “Um, yes sir, will do,” he says, trying to fight off a grin. Singh nods and walks away and Eddie can’t help roll his eyes fondly.

“I don’t think the Flash is the possessive type,” Barry teases.

“Uh, I beg to differ,” Eddie says with a smirk. “But we can get into that later. You ready El?” He looks back at his sister who just nods.

“What did he mean about the Flash?” she asks. “Did you hook up with a meta? Because that would be like, the ultimate ‘screw you’ to dad.”

Eddie blushes again and rolls his eyes. “No, I didn’t,” he says, ushering them out of the squad room. “The Flash wishes.” When they step outside, Eddie slips his hand into Barry’s.

Barry just chuckles and gives it a squeeze. “The Flash _does_ wish,” he says with a smirk.

“Oh shut up,” Eddie replies, nudging his shoulder. “I um, I’m sorry by the way. About freezing up in there.”

Barry just shrugs. “Don’t be,” he says. “I shouldn’t have said anything without clearing it with you. If you don’t want people to know, I—“

Barry’s cut off by Eddie tugging his hand to get him to stop. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry that I ever made you think that,” Eddie says. “My parents can’t know yet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to shout it from the rooftops. I just…” He sighs and squeezes Barry’s hand. “I didn’t know if ‘boyfriend’ was the right word. If you wanted to use a label at all. You’re the one who said casual was for the best.”

A huge grin breaks out across Barry’s face and he pulls Eddie into a kiss. When he pulls away, he grins again. “I’ve never really had anything with a label before. With anyone. But I think I’d like that. ‘Boyfriend’, I mean.”

Eddie smiles and kisses Barry again. He can hear Ellie making fake gagging noises and he pulls back, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, you made your point El,” he says. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

Ellie makes a face as they continue walking. “I think I lost my appetite,” she mumbles.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie's case catches a break. Just not the one he was expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOSH HI IM ALIVE! I am so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up!!! I was at a certain superhero film two weeks ago, and then last week the executive dysfunction hit HARD. Thanks so much for sticking around! We're rounding the corner and headed into the last half of the fic now, and action is really about to pick up, so stay tuned!
> 
> And don't forget you can find me on Twitter/Tumblr @ Starkidmack - I post updates and answer questions about all my fic there!

Another two days pass by before Eddie’s last doctor’s appointment rolls around where he's given a clean bill of health. Barry decides to tag along for moral support, and as they walk out of the hospital, Eddie squeezes his hand. “Thanks for coming,” he says. “I really hate hospitals.”

Barry smiles and slips his arm around Eddie’s waist as they walk to the car. “I know, you’ve said that before,” he replies. “What’s that about anyway?”

Eddie wraps his arm around Barry’s shoulder and sighs. “I was in and out of them as a kid. I was bullied a lot," he admits. "When we lived in Keystone when I was younger, I was overweight and an easy target. And then in middle school my dad led this clean air campaign that got a big factory shut down. Hundreds of people lost their jobs and the kids I went to school with took it out on me. Often."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Barry replies with a frown.

They reach Eddie's car and he shakes his head. "Don't be," he says as he unlocks the door. "I mean, I'm fine. Dad got me into boxing lessons so I could fight back, and it helped me slim down too. We moved out here when I was in high school and by then nobody really picked on me anymore."

Barry frowns as he climbs into the car, reaching over to squeeze Eddie's thigh. "How many times did you wind up in the hospital?" He asks.

Eddie shrugs and looks over at Barry. "More than I would have liked," he says as he starts the car. "I've had a few minor concussions after being knocked down or shoved into walls hard enough. The worst time though was right after the factory closed. A couple high school kids jumped me on my way home from school. Broken nose, a few cracked ribs, split lip. And I think that's the time I chipped a tooth too." 

Looking over at Barry, Eddie sees the worry in his features and gives him a small smile. "Hey, I still turned out okay," Eddie says, bringing Barry's hand up to kiss it. "Besides, I've got a super-powered boyfriend to take care of me now."

Barry smiles and reaches up to cup Eddie's cheek. "As long as you don't get into any more fights now, okay?" He says. "I don't know if I could be seen with you if you mess up this beautiful face. That's kind of a deal breaker."

Eddie laughs and rolls his eyes. "Oh is it?" He teases. "So you're just with me for my looks?"

Barry smirks and drops his hand. "Yup, that's all. Nothing else about you is appealing in the slightest."

Eddie rolls his eyes again and smiles as he backs out of the parking space. "Well now seems like a good time to tell you I'm only dating you because you know the Golden Glider," he says. “She's really hot. Think you can hook me up?"

Barry laughs. "I'm telling Lisa you said that," he teases. “Len too, for that matter.”

Eddie grins. "Well in the off chance she says no, I'm glad I get you as a consolation," he says. As they drive off, Eddie reaches over and slips his hand into Barry's.

"I do make a pretty good second choice," Barry replies with a smile, lacing his fingers through Eddie's.

They've been driving for a few minutes, headed back towards Barry's apartment, when Eddie's phone rings. With a sigh, he pulls it out of his pocket and answers on speakerphone. "This is Thawne."

"Eddie? It's Cisco. Are you with Barry?"

"He is," Barry responds, glancing over to Eddie. "What's going on?"

"Good. I need to show you guys something. Meet me at STAR Labs as soon as possible."

"What's going on Cisco?" Eddie asks, looking over at Barry in confusion.

"I'll tell you when you get here. But hurry. This is... This is big."

Eddie frowns. "Okay, we'll be there soon," he says. He hangs up and looks over at Barry. "Any idea what that was about?"

Barry shakes his head. "Cisco's kind of a drama queen. It might be nothing."

"I don't know, it sounded important," Eddie replies. "Actually, speaking of important, I have to ask you about something before I forget again."

Barry furrows his brow. "Um... Okay?"

Eddie swallows hard and glances over at Barry. "Well, we haven't really talked about it, and I know we've only been really dating for a couple weeks, but Valentine's Day is this coming weekend... And I mean it's too late to make reservations anywhere decent but... I wanted to know if you wanted to do anything?"

"Oh, um..." Eddie looks over again and Barry has an unreadable expression. "I mean..."

"It's too much, okay," Eddie says. "Don't worry about it. Just, y'know, pretend I didn't say anything."

Barry shakes his head. "No, no, I think it sounds nice," he says. "It does really. I'd love to. It's just that me and the rest of the Rogues have always kind of made a point to hang out together on holidays like that. Because, y'know, none of us really have anyone else."

Eddie nods. "Barry, it's fine," he says. He tries his best to hide his disappointment with a small smile. "They're your family. Go hang out with them. We see each other enough anyway."

"Eddie..."

"I said it's fine," Eddie replies curtly. "That's why I asked. I didn't want to assume anything. Anyway..." He glances at Barry again. "Valentine's day isn't that important. Over-priced chocolate and flowers that die in two days, big whoop." They pull up to STAR Labs and Eddie looks at Barry. "Come on, the sooner we get done here, the sooner we can go for lunch or something. Sound good?"

Barry furrows his brow and nods. "Yeah, I guess," he mumbles. "You sure you're okay?"

"Positive," Eddie replies. "Come on." He gets out of the car and waits for Barry to join him before walking inside. 

They're met at the door by a frantic-looking Cisco. "Thank god, come on. You guys need to see this," he says, leading them inside and away from the main lab. "Detective West had me working on this but when I found what I found, I knew you guys had to know first."

"Why didn't you call Joe?" Eddie asks. "Where are we even going? Cisco, what's happening?"

They get to a small, secluded workspace and Cisco closes the door behind them, then sets about turning off lights and closing windows. "Okay, so you know how you say something kind of as a joke because it's not really possible, but then it turns out it might actually be possible and it might have some pretty serious implications?" He asks. "Because that's kind of what's going on and I'm not sure how exactly but it is and I think I might have found the key to this whole thing."

"...Cisco?" Barry asks. "I know it's ironic coming from me, but you need to slow down."

Cisco stops fidgeting with equipment and sighs. "Just... See for yourselves." He hits a switch and the room lights up with a holographic image. 

A man and woman appear to kneel in the middle of the room and a blur appears in the space behind them. Upon closer inspection, Eddie realizes there are two faces in the blur. "Cisco, what is this?"

Barry beats Cisco to the answer, and when he does, he sounds faint. "This is the night my parents died."

***

"How is this possible?" Eddie asks, walking around the projection.

"Tachyons," Cisco says, an air of excitement in his voice. "The woman who owns Barry's old house now kept a mirror that belonged to Barry's parents. We saw some weird particles and imprints so Joe asked me to run a few tests. I found an abnormally large quantity of tachyon particles on the surface of the glass. Shine lights with the right frequency on the glass and boom, holographic imaging. This in and of itself is a huge breakthrough."

Barry leans against the door and slides down the the ground. Eddie frowns and goes over, crouching down next to him. "Bear?" He asks softly, rubbing Barry's shoulder.

"I... I'm sorry, this is just a lot to process," Barry mumbles. He tears his eyes away from the image of his parents and looks up at Cisco. "What were you and Joe doing in that house?" He asks.

"Joe came to me last week. He wanted to see if there was anything that got missed, especially if there were metas in your house that night." Cisco hits a button and the image changes slightly. He does it again and the image changes once more. He cycles through a few images and they each change slightly from the last, like a low speed flip-book. "We didn't tell you because we wanted to be sure."

"So why call me and not Joe?" Eddie asks. He rubs Barry's shoulder again and stands. "If Joe's the one who asked you to look into this..."

"This isn't all we found," Cisco replies. "Here, look." He flips through a few more images until what looks like a splash of something comes from the blur, and a few images later it looks like another does too.

"What is that?" Barry asks, pushing himself up.

"That, my friend, is blood," Cisco says proudly. "Two distinct instances of it. These metas were fighting each other." He flips through another few images and the blur separates into to two distinct people, each with a cut clearly visible on their arms. "We used this image to pinpoint where the blood would have landed on the wall, and under the layers of ugly-ass wallpaper, we found trace quantities of it left behind. Joe had me run analysis to see if I could find out who it belonged to. That's why I called you."

Barry clenches his jaw and steps forward, looking at the image of the two speedsters. "Who are they?" He asks sternly.

"Here's the thing," Cisco says. "This guy here, the second bleeder, we have no clue. I mean, I ran this blood against every known database. Birth records, CODIS, government employees, everything. No matches. But this guy—” He gestures to the other person. "The blood from this person had one match. You, Barry."

"What?" Eddie asks. "It came from the meta though. And I went over Barry's statement. He wasn't hurt that night."

Barry shakes his head. "No, I wasn't," he says.

“You were though," Cisco says. “Well, a version of you. The blood doesn't match Barry as a kid. The proteins are all wrong and I found evidence of dark matter. The blood we found matches adult, meta-human Barry."

"How is that even possible?" Barry asks.

"What are you saying here, Cisco?" Eddie interjects. "Some future version of Barry, what, hijacked a DeLorean and came back in time to the night of his parents' murder?"

"Not quite, but nice movie reference, detective," Cisco says, pointing finger guns at Eddie. He turns the projection off and walks over to flick on the light in the room. "Barry, are you familiar with Martin Stein's theories on tachyonic temporal displacement?"

"Do I look like I'm familiar with Martin Stein's theories on tachyon… whatever?” Barry retorts.

Cisco rolls his eyes. ”Doctor Stein is a theoretical quantum physicist. He hypothesized that tachyonic properties could be harnessed for temporal displacement, or time travel.” Barry and Eddie both blink in confusion and Cisco groans. He goes over to a glass board and picks up a marker, drawing a diagram as he speaks. 

“According to Stein, time is like a freeway and we're all going one direction,” he explains. “But if non-tachyonic particles and organisms could be accelerated to tachyonic speeds, one might, in theory, be able to exit and enter the freeway wherever they wanted."

Barry furrows his brow. "So what, if I go fast enough, I could travel back in time?"

"Or forwards," Cisco says with a shrug. "I mean, this has all been theoretical for the last thirty years. But... Considering your adult DNA and the sheer amount of tachyonic residue present in your home, I don't think it's just a theory anymore."

"I..." Barry runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "I um... I need some air. I'll uh, I... Yeah." He zips away before Eddie can stop him, and papers flutter everywhere.

"Give him some time, he'll come around," Cisco says matter-of-factly as he starts to collect the papers.

Eddie looks at Cisco with a frown and nods once. "Thank you for this," he says. "Um... Okay. So the other meta, the Man in Yellow, he had no DNA matches anywhere in the world, right?" Cisco nods and Eddie frowns again. "Did you try expanding your search to relatives? See if there are any close DNA matches? If he's... from the future, his DNA won't be in any database around today. But we may be able to narrow down where he came from."

Cisco nods. "I can do that," he says, walking over to one of the computers tucked into the corner. "What should I tell Detective West if he asks about results?"

"Not the truth," Eddie replies. He goes over to Cisco and watches him type. "He has no idea Barry's the Flash and I think Barry would like to keep it that way. Just... Tell him you didn't find a match on either of them but you're still looking."

Cisco frowns but nods again. "Okay..." He says reluctantly. He types away until a screen pops up and Cisco freezes. "Holy frack..." He breathes.

"What?" Eddie asks, looking over Cisco's shoulder. "What did you find?"

"A match to a relative," Cisco says. "If the Man in Yellow is from the future too, he's definitely related to someone from this time period."

Eddie leans in to look at the results. "Well, who is it?" He asks.

Cisco swallows hard and turns to look at Eddie. "It's a very distant match. Like what you might see between a person and their mother's uncle or their great grandfather. But the DNA match is there."

"Cisco. Who is it?" Eddie asks again.

"It's you, Eddie."


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie breaks the news

"Eddie?" 

From the chair that he's slumped over in, Eddie looks up at Cisco with wide eyes. "I know this is a lot," Cisco says, patting Eddie’s shoulder awkwardly, "but I mean... This meta isn't you. He might be very distantly related to you, in the future, but you aren’t responsible for him being here now.”

“I…. I know,” Eddie breathes. “But it’s not me. It can’t be”

“What do you mean?”

“The Man in Yellow has tried to kill me. A few times,” Eddie says. “If he’s my direct descendent, wouldn’t me dying now keep him from existing?”

Cisco furrows his brow and nods. “Good point,” he says. “Do you have any siblings maybe?”

Eddie groans. “Five of them,” he says. “And—Oh god…” 

“What?” Cisco asks, concern lacing his voice. “Eddie, what is it?”

“What about Barry?” Eddie asks. “I can’t not tell him this! My family spawned the man who murdered his parents!”

“I mean, you don’t _have_ to tell him,” Cisco offers.

Eddie frowns. “I’m not lying to my boyfriend,” he says. “I just… have to figure out a way to tell him that the man that murdered his parents is apparently related to me in the future.”

Cisco purses his lips. “I don’t know what to tell you, dude. Maybe you just need to… say it.”

“Yeah…” Eddie says with a sigh. “I just… need to find him first.” He looks down at his phone and frowns again, then sends off a text asking Barry where he went.

“What are we gonna do about this?” Cisco asks, gesturing to the mirror.

Eddie finally stands and rubs the back of his neck. “Don’t tell anybody,” he says. “Not Doctor Wells, not Caitlin, nobody. Let me track down Barry and we'll figure it out from there.” He looks at his phone again but there's no response from Barry. "I have to go, I need to find him," he says.

"Go," Cisco replies. "I'll hold down the fort."

Eddie nods and walks out of the lab. He heads outside and walks towards the car, unbothered by the cold. He intends to drive around and see if he can find Barry when he looks up and stops short. Barry is there, leaning against the back of the car, taking a drag from a cigarette.

"Those things will kill you," Eddie says as he walks over.

Barry blows the smoke out and drops the cigarette into the snow at his feet, putting it out with his heel. "Not me," he says. "My cells regenerate super fast. Because I'm a super human with super speed. I can run fast and heal myself and oh! Apparently I can time travel!”

Eddie shoves his hands in his pockets and sighs. "I'm sorry," he says. "This is all crazy."

"Yeah, it is," Barry agrees with a sigh. "But you had nothing to do with it, there's no reason to apologize."

With a frown, Eddie sighs again. "That may not be true," he responds. "I um... Cisco found out who the other speedster was. Well not who, but he found a um, a relative. Someone with common DNA."

Barry clenches his jaw. "Who?" he asks tensely.

Eddie takes a deep breath and looks down at the ground. "Me, Barry," he says softly. "The Man in Yellow is um... He's... It's very distant, but we think he's a descendant of one of my sisters. It's impossible to tell who but... He's a Thawne."

Eddie chances a look up and sees Barry staring at him with a furrowed brow. They’re silent for a moment before Barry is suddenly launching himself forward and enveloping Eddie in a tight hug. Eddie wraps his arms around Barry in return and lets out a breath, burying his face in Barry's shoulder and melting into the embrace. Barry smells of cigarette smoke but Eddie can't quite bring himself to be bothered by it. 

After a minute, Eddie pulls back just enough to look at Barry's face. "I'm sorry," he mumbles.

Barry frowns and leans in, pressing a chaste kiss to Eddie's lips. "Don't apologize," he says softly when he pulls back. "You had no idea. You had no control over anything that happened."

"But what if I do?" Eddie asks. He untangles himself from Barry and shoves his hands in his pockets again. "What if something I do now, or something I've already done, leads to him existing who knows how far in the future? He killed your parents, Barry. What if that's my fault? Or one of my sisters’?”

"I don't care," Barry responds firmly. "The only person I blame for my parents' murder is the man who killed them. He's the reason for everything that's happened in my life and why I am who I am. And I'm not about to let you go down a self-loathing spiral over this, okay?"

Eddie smiles softly and nods. "Okay," he mumbles. He leans in to kiss Barry slowly, sighing when they break apart. "Sorry," he says. "This isn't just about me. How are you handling all of this?"

Barry shrugs. "Well, apparently someday I'm gonna go back in time and see my parents die again. So that's great."

Eddie frowns and pulls Barry into another hug. "I'm sorry," he mumbles again, kissing the side of Barry's head. "Why don't we get out of here, huh? We can go find some food and just.... Process all of this."

Barry sighs but nods. "That sounds like a good idea," he mumbles. "I um... Thank you, Eddie."

Eddie leans away again and drops his hand to Barry's. "For what?" He asks.

"For being so... You," Barry replies with a smile.

"Well I do what I can," Eddie responds. "Now come on, before we catch cold.” He goes over and opens the passenger side door for Barry, then gets in on the other side. “Where to?” he asks.

Barry shrugs. “Can we just go home? I can whip something up.”

“Bear, you’re my boyfriend and I care about you a lot,” Eddie says as he starts the car, “but heating up a can of soup doesn’t constitute as cooking.”

Barry just chuckles. “That’s rude, that hurts,” he says. “But fine, Gordon Ramsay. You can cook.”

Eddie laughs and leans over to kiss Barry’s cheek. “Okay,” he says. “Do you have food in your apartment?” When Barry hesitates, Eddie laughs again. “Y’know what, never mind. We’ll order in.”

“Perfect, you read my mind!” Barry replies with a grin.

Eddie just rolls his eyes and puts the car in gear. As they drive back towards Barry’s apartment, Eddie glances over. “What do you want to do about this whole thing?” he asks softly.

Barry sighs. “I don’t know,” he admits. “What I do know is that when I find the Man in Yellow, I’m going to make him pay.”

“How?” Eddie questions. “I mean, you told me you’re not a killer, Barry, and I think that’s still true.”

Barry’s silent for a few moments. “I’m not sure,” he finally admits. “But I have to stop him. And I have to make sure he never hurts anybody again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry to follow up that cliffhanger with a short chapter this week, but I promise it'll be worth it! I've got some good stuff coming in the next few weeks so stick around!
> 
> Thanks as always for reading! And as always, catch me on Twitter and Tumblr @ starkidmack


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie... gets kidnapped?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late and a dollar short... story of my life. Sorry for the wait, but here's an extra-long chapter to tide you over and make up for it! Hope y'all enjoy! And if you're not following me on social media, what are you even doing?? Check me out @ starkidmack on tumblr and twitter for updates and meta about these good good boys!

Eddie’s escape from the station that weekend can’t come soon enough. Valentine’s day hasn’t particularly bothered Eddie in the past, but this year is different. This year, Eddie has someone to spend the holiday with, and he’s still spending it alone. It doesn’t help things that captain Singh’s fiancee stops by to bring him dinner or that Iris walks in with a dozen roses when she comes to pick Patty up, or that several other spouses or significant others have come in to greet some of the other officers throughout the day. So, fed up with the reminder of his own temporary relationship status, Eddie finishes his reports in record time then slips out before anyone can catch him.

He’s just stepped into the parking garage when in a burst of light, he’s whisked away. He doesn’t have time to process what’s going on, let alone shout for help, before he's standing still again. Once the vertigo and the adrenaline subside, Eddie looks around and realizes he's in a dimly-lit apartment. Soft music floats through the air and candles line the space, and it takes him another moment but he finally realizes he's in Barry's apartment. "What the hell..." He breathes.

"Um, surprise?"

Eddie whips around, hand on his sidearm, and sees Barry standing in the middle of the kitchen wearing a jacket that looks to be a size too big. He holds up a single rose and smiles nervously, and Eddie can see that he's not wearing any of the makeup or the accessories he usually does. "Bear... What is all this?" Eddie asks with a grin, hand relaxing again.

"I..." Barry runs his free hand through his hair and shrugs. "The um, my friends, they kind of gave me shit when they found out I blew you off. So..." He shrugs again and holds the rose out. "Sorry about that, by the way," he says. "I guess I was just... Nervous."

Eddie steps forward and takes the rose from Barry, then leans in and kisses him slowly, settling his hands on Barry's waist. Barry hums against Eddie's lips and wraps his arms around his neck, kissing back happily. When Eddie leans away, he smiles. "Still nervous?" He asks softly.

Barry shakes his head and grins. "No," he replies. "I just... I told you I haven't done this before, and I guess the thought of like, Valentine's Day, made everything feel really serious, yknow? And I freaked out.”

“And… serious is bad?” Eddie asks with a frown.

“No, I—“ Barry sighs and leans in to kiss Eddie again. When he pulls away, he bites his lip. “I haven’t _done_ serious before,” he explains, “Not like this. And it made me realize that I… y’know… I could get in really deep with you. I’m not going anywhere any time soon and I guess that thought kind of just… overwhelmed me. But not in a bad way.”

Eddie’s frown shifts into a grin and he leans in to kiss Barry again slowly. When he pulls away, he rests his forehead against Barry’s. “You’re the best,” he mumbles. “Thank you. For all of this. Now about this whole kidnapping thing...”

“Oh please, I didn’t kidnap you,” Barry replies. “But, I can take you back to your car if you really want.”

Eddie smirks again. “I think I’m good for now,” he says. “Maybe later tonight. Or… tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Barry asks, quirking an eyebrow up. “How do you know I don’t have dates with my other boyfriends later?”

“Shut up,” Eddie says, grabbing the lapels of Barry’s jacket and pulling him in for another kiss.

Barry kisses back with a hum, but leans back a moment later when Eddie’s hands start to shift and push at his jacket. “Wait, wait,” he mumbles, stepping back. “Okay, hold on, there’s time for that later. But first… I made dinner.”

“You? Cooked?” Eddie asks in surprise. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cook something that didn’t require a microwave.”

“I’m full of surprises,” Barry quips. “You’ll even notice there’s a second chair at the table. Which I bought, by the way. With legal, non-stolen money.”

Eddie looks over and sure enough, he sees a second folding chair tucked into the table. "Wow, two whole chairs! I'm shocked!" Eddie teases.

"Bite me," Barry retorts, shoving Eddie's shoulder. "Go on, sit, I'll bring the food out."

Eddie smiles. "You got it." He pulls off his jacket and unwraps his scarf, draping them over the back of a chair before sitting. He looks up just as Barry flashes over with two plates of food. “Mm, smells good,” he says with a grin. “Did you make a lasagna?”

“Well…” Barry shrugs. “I mean, I took it out of the box and put it in the oven.” He sits across from Eddie and hooks their ankles together under the table. “I know it’s not the real thing, but I figured I couldn’t screw this up. Hopefully.”

Eddie chuckles. “It looks incredible,” he says. “Maybe I’ll show you how to make a real one someday.” He takes a bite and hums. “Hm, tastes good too,” he says.

Barry beams at him. “Good, I’m glad you like it,” he says. He shrugs out of his jacket then digs into his own food, and Eddie chuckles.

“Okay, I gotta ask,” Eddie says. “What are you wearing, Bear?”

Barry blushes and shrugs. “I didn’t have any nice clothes, so the guys helped me out,” he says. “I just… wanted to impress you.”

“Well consider me impressed,” Eddie replies. “But… you know you don’t have to try and impress me right? I like you how you are.”

“Yeah, I know. I just… thought this would be nice,” Barry says with another shrug.

“Well it is. Thank you.” With a smile, Eddie goes back to his food. As they eat, they make small talk and play footsie under the table. It’s comfortable, Eddie thinks. It’s… normal.

When they’ve finished eating, Barry flashes the dishes into the kitchen then zips back and walks around the table, dropping into Eddie’s lap to straddle him. “So, I may have had ulterior motives in bringing you here tonight,” he mumbles, leaning down to kiss Eddie slowly.

“Oh, is that so?” Eddie mumbles, tilting his head as Barry trails his lips along his neck. “And here I thought you just wanted a quiet, wholesome evening.”

Barry chuckles and leans in to kiss Eddie again. “You misjudged me, detective,” he says when he pulls back. “Are you going to get in trouble for breaking curfew tonight?”

Eddie rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “My folks are in Coast City and Ellie has some friends over. Oh, shit, actually…” Realizing he forgot to ever let Ellie know he wasn’t coming home, Eddie starts to reach for his phone when Barry chuckles and stills his hand.

“Already talked her,” he says. “I uh… wanted her advice. So. She knows not to expect you.”

Eddie raises an eyebrow and smiles. “You asked my teenage sister for advice for Valentine’s day?” 

“I wanted to make sure I had everything right, okay?”

Eddie chuckles and kisses Barry again slowly. When he leans away again, he grins. “I’m all yours this evening,” he says softly.

A wicked grin spreads across Barry’s face and in the blink of an eye, Eddie is on his back on Barry’s bed. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”

***

The next morning, Eddie isn't sure if it's the sunlight streaming in or the smell of food cooking that wakes him, but he blinks his eyes open slowly and smiles when he sees Barry standing over the stove at the other end of the apartment. He looks a lot like he did when they first officially met, wearing nothing but boxers and his hair a tousled mess. But this time, Eddie doesn't have to imagine tracing the lines of Barry's tattoo. He doesn't have to wonder what it’s like to touch, to feel.

"Are you gonna stare at me like a creep all morning or are you gonna come kiss me?" Barry calls without looking up, pulling Eddie from his thoughts.

Eddie huffs out a laugh and pushes himself up off the bed. He pulls his briefs on and walks over to the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Barry's waist and kissing the back of his neck. "Morning," he mumbles. "Hm... What are you making?"

"Pancakes," Barry replies. "Hope that's okay." He flips the last one onto the stack and turns the stove off, then turns to face Eddie. "Morning, yourself," he says with a smile, leaning in to kiss him slowly. When he pulls back, he smiles. "C'mon, let’s eat. I'm starving," he says. He turns to grab the plate stacked with pancakes and hands it to Eddie.

Eddie rolls his eyes but smiles and takes the plate to the table, laughing when Barry zips over and drops a bottle of syrup and place settings. “Can’t you just walk anywhere?” Eddie asks. “Why don’t you just slow down for a minute? Take your time?”

“I could, but the sooner we eat, the sooner we can go back to bed,” Barry replies with a smirk.

“…Fast is fine,” Eddie concedes with a smile.

Barry laughs as he drops a few pancakes onto his plate and reaches for the syrup. “That’s what I thought,” he says. “You uh… you okay?”

Eddie serves himself and nods. “Yeah, I’m great,” he says with a grin. “Are you?”

Barry smiles and nods. “Yeah, I am,” he says. “Really great.”

“Good.” As Eddie eats, he watches Barry carefully, inspecting his neck and shoulders when he notices something odd. “Why don't you have any marks on your neck?” he finally asks. "Y'know, like the ones I get from you? I'm pretty sure you should have at least one or two from last night."

“Like hickeys?” Barry says, pursing his lips. “I heal fast, remember? So they wouldn’t last.”

“But what about your tattoo? That never healed over,” Eddie points out.

Barry shrugs. “I got it before the accident,” he says. “I’ve got a couple old scars that never went away, but new things heal up pretty much instantly.”

“Like the ones on your hip, right?” Eddie asks, gesturing with his fork. “What happened?”

Barry frowns and looks down at his plate. He pokes at the pieces of pancake for a minute in silence, then looks back up at Eddie again. “One of my first foster dads liked to use us as his ashtrays when we got mouthy,” he finally says. “I talked back a lot, so…”

“Oh Barry…”

“Don’t—don’t do that. Don’t feel sorry for me,” Barry interjects. “I’m fine, okay? A couple cigarette burns is nothing. Some of the kids had it a lot worse and I’m—I’m lucky that this is all I walked away with.”

Eddie reaches over to squeeze Barry’s hand. “You don’t have to feel lucky because someone might have had it worse. What you went through still sucks. I’m sorry.”

"Thanks," Barry mumbles, going back to poking at his food.

"I mean it," Eddie replies. He squeezes Barry's hand again then smiles. “Y'know what, I'm full. Why don't we go lay down for a little bit?"

Barry smiles softly and nods. "I'd like that," he says. He leads Eddie over to the mattress and lays down, then makes grabby hands until Eddie is laying with him. "This is nice," he notes, scooting close and pulling the blanket over them.

"It is," Eddie says as he tucks his arms around Barry. Barry starts kissing along Eddie's neck slowly and he sighs happily. "Hm... Y'know," he says, "now that you have two whole chairs, your next goal should be getting a real bed."

"What, my mattress isn't good enough for you?" Barry mumbles against Eddie's skin. "Didn't hear any complaints from you last night."

Eddie chuckles. "No complaints," he says. He leans down and captures Barry's lips in a gentle kiss then pulls back after a moment. "Just thought it might be more comfortable than getting up and down off the floor."

"I'll think about it," Barry says. "For now, stop talking and let me kiss you."

Eddie chuckles again but complies, laying back and pulling Barry on top of him, kissing him slowly. His hands trace up Barry's back, gripping him gently as they kiss. It only lasts a few minutes though before they're interrupted by Eddie's phone ringing.

"Ignore it," Barry mumbles.

Eddie pulls back and sighs. "Let me just see who it is?" Barry groans and flops over onto his back and Eddie chuckles, reaching over to grab his pants and dig his phone out of the pocket. When he sees Joe's name flash across the screen though, he groans and reluctantly answers. "Morning, Joe," he greets as he lays back down.

"So you are alive," Joe notes. "That's good."

"What are you talking about, of course I'm alive," Eddie responds. Barry gives him a quizzical look, and Eddie shrugs. "What's going on Joe?" He asks.

“Well, your car was still at the station this morning, and Cap said there was video that looked like you were taken by a speedster. So."

Barry leans in and starts kissing along Eddie's neck. "Get rid of him," he mumbles quietly. Eddie tilts his head, momentarily forgetting he's on the phone as he hums softly.

"Eddie? You there?" Joe asks. "You okay?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Eddie responds, leaning away from his boyfriend with a smirk. "No meta. Must have been a glitch in the security feed." He glances to Barry again and tries to give him a stern look, a look that quickly fades when Barry’s hand starts wandering.

“Uh-huh…” Joe responds, sounding unconvinced. “Well, where’d you disappear to then?”

Eddie bites down on his lip and pushes Barry’s hand away. “Nowhere,” he says, smiling despite himself when Barry leans in to kiss along his neck again. He takes a breath and tries his best to focus on the conversation and not on Barry’s lips against his skin or his teasing touches. “I uh… Barry surprised me. Texted me that he was at the main entrance. So I went back in and met him.”

“And you didn’t come back for your car?”

“Joe,” Eddie says in exasperation. “You want me to give you all the details on my Valentine’s Day with my boyfriend? Because I’m—hm!” Eddie pushes Barry’s hand away again with a smirk and chuckles. “I’m more than happy to. In fact, Barry’s right here, he can help.”

“Morning detective!” Barry calls, a shit-eating grin spread wide across his face.

“Oh my god,” Joe mumbles. “Look, Singh wants an explanation. Like now. Get your ass down here and sort this out please.”

Eddie sighs and shakes his head slightly. “Fine,” he mumbles. “I’ll uh, be there as soon as I can.” He hangs up and drops his phone onto the floor, then looks over at Barry who frowns. “Don’t give me that look, I have no choice,” he says. 

He starts to get up but Barry pulls him back down onto the bed and climbs on top of him, straddling his waist. “You’re really gonna leave me?” he asks with a pout, leaning down to kiss Eddie slowly.

Eddie sighs and pulls back with a small groan. “I have to,” he says. “I just have to go talk to the captain then I’ll be right back.” Barry pouts again and Eddie chuckles, pulling him down into another kiss. When they break apart, Eddie smiles. “Why don’t you come with me?” he suggests. “You’ve already met Singh, and seeing us together will convince him that I wasn’t meeting up with The Flash. He already thinks there’s something going on between me and the Flash anyway.”

“So let me get this straight,” Barry says, finally rolling back onto the bed so Eddie can get up. “You want to show off the guy you’re banging, who happens to be the Flash, to prove you’re not banging the Flash. Right?”

Eddie laughs and pushes himself up off the bed, looking back at Barry. “Would you not call it ‘banging’? You sound like a frat boy.” He starts pulling on his shirt, looking back down at the other man.

“Would you prefer ‘screwing’?” Barry asks with a grin. “Or boinking? Smashing?”

“Barry, oh my god.”

“Love-making feels too cliche. How about boning? Nailing? Oh, or knocking boots!”

“Oh my god, you have to stop,” Eddie laughs. “You’re such a dork. How do you know so many shitty euphemisms?”

Barry shrugs. “It’s a talent.”

Eddie rolls his eyes and starts pulling his slacks on. “Are you coming with me or not?” he asks.

Barry sighs dramatically and pushes himself up. “Fine, fine,” he mumbles, “only because I wanna see the look on Joe West’s face when you walk in wearing yesterday’s clothes.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Eddie remarks. He leans in and kisses Barry then starts tying his tie.

“…Hey Eddie?” Barry asks after a moment.

Eddie looks up, and when he sees Barry’s soft expression, he smiles and walks over, resting his hands on Barry’s waist. “Yes?”

Barry kisses Eddie softly then rests their foreheads together. “Launching the meat missile," he whispers.

“I hate you.”

***

As they walk into the station, Eddie squeezes Barry’s hand. “Come on, we’ll be in and out then we can go check on Ellie and her friends,” he says.

“I’m holding you to that,” Barry says.

“Hm, I like when you hold me to things,” Eddie teases. He smiles and leads Barry inside and to his desk, gesturing to his chair. “Wait here okay? And uh, leave the handcuffs alone, I don’t need you getting any ideas.”

Barry rolls his eyes as he drops into the chair. "You're no fun," he teases. “Go on, go sweet talk your boss. I’ll behave out here.”

“You better,” Eddie responds. He winks at Barry then turns and walks up to Captain Singh’s office. He pokes his head in and when Singh doesn’t notice him right away, Eddie clears his throat.

“Come in, Thawne,” the captain calls, looking up from his work. “Close the door behind you.”

Eddie nods and steps into the office, gently closing the door. “Sir, Joe told me everything but I’m sure it’s not—“

“Not what it looks like?” David asks with a smirk. Eddie blushes and nods, and David sighs, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk for Eddie to sit. “Listen, I respect you, and I’m not going to make you lie to me, so I’m not going to ask if you were with the Flash. Or if you’re dating the Flash, for that matter.”

Eddie’s eyes go wide. “Sir, I—“

“I know, I know, you’re dating Barry who is _definitely_ not a meta,” David interjects with a knowing smile. “Just… next time, warn the Flash to be a little less public in his affection for you. Our tech team, and the press god forbid, won’t be as willing to buy your ‘tampered footage’ story as the rest of our colleagues.”

Eddie chuckles nervously and nods. “Uh, yes sir,” he says. “I um…”

“Go on, get out.” David gestures to the door. “Just wanted to make sure we were on the uh, same page.”

“We are, sir,” Eddie replies. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

David waves him off and Eddie gets up, walking back out to the squad room. He heads to his desk, but just as he gets there, Joe walks in from the other side and sneers at Barry. 

“What are you doing here?” Joe asks.

“Joe…” Eddie warns, a hand falling on Barry’s shoulder.

Barry rolls his eyes and looks up at Joe. “I was waiting for my boyfriend, detective. Or is that against the law now?”

Joe just scoffs and turns to shuffle through something on his desk, and Eddie shakes his head. “Come on Bear, we should go,” he says.

“No, I want to know,” Barry says, shrugging out of Eddie’s hand. He stands and folds his arms, glaring at Joe. “What's your problem with me, huh? You don’t think I’m good enough for him? Like I wasn’t good enough for Iris? Or for your home?”

“Yeah actually, I do!” Joe responds, turning to face the younger man. “You’re trouble, Barry. You always have been and you always will be. You’re gonna break his heart the same way you broke my daughter’s and I’m not about to sit here with a smile on my face while you do it!”

“Joe, that’s enough!” Eddie interjects as he moves to stand in between the two. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“West! Thawne!”

The squad room goes silent as captain Singh steps out of his office and storms over. “You take this shit outside or take it down to Internal Affairs. Either way you take it out of my squad room. Now!”

Barry glares daggers at Joe for a moment before turning around and storming out. Eddie clenches his jaw and shakes his head. “I hope you’re happy,” he murmurs. He turns to walk out himself, paying no mind to the whispers that trail him.

Once outside, Eddie starts to text Barry, but looks up and pauses. Barry is there, leaning against a bike rack and holding a cigarette to his lips. "I thought you'd be halfway to Coast City by now," Eddie says as he walks over. "I uh, I'm sorry for that. He shouldn't have said that stuff to you."

Barry lets out a puff of smoke and flicks ashes from the end of the cigarette. "It's all true though," he replies. "I am trouble. You'll only get hurt being with me."

"I don't believe that for a second," says Eddie. "What you've been through, what you've done... it doesn't define who you are now. And who you are now is a really great guy."

Barry purses his lips for a moment then takes another drag on the cigarette. He breathes out the smoke and sighs, looking up at Eddie again. "Are you even gonna ask me about Iris?"

Eddie shakes his head. "Nope. If you want to tell me, I'll listen, but it's not my business. I don't care about what you did as a kid. Everyone does stupid stuff when they’re young.”

Barry goes silent again. After a few minutes, he drops the cigarette butt and stamps it out with his heel, then looks over to Eddie. "Joe was right. I broke her heart," he says finally. "When we were in high school, or, well, when Iris was in high school and I was in between stints in juvie, we went out for a while. I’d just gotten out for I think the second time so naturally Joe didn't want me anywhere near his daughter. That just made us want to spend more time together."

Barry starts fidgeting with his rings nervously, so Eddie reaches down and tangles their hands together. "You can tell me," he says. "But you don't have to."

"No, I need to," Barry replies. "She told me she loved me right after the first time we… y’know. But it freaked me out and I broke up with her.” He frowns and shrugs nervously. “I mean, I know it doesn't sound like a big deal now, but it was then,” he continues. “We were each other's firsts for a lot. Hell, I was the first person she ever said that to and I just..." Barry pulls his hands out of Eddie's and runs them through his hair with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"Hey." Eddie takes both of Barry's hands again and leans in to kiss his forehead softly. When he pulls back, he gives a soft reassuring smile. "It's okay," he mumbles. "You were going through a lot. And it looks like she’s forgiven you, based on what I saw of you two at the hospital.”

“That was the first time we saw each other in like, ten years,” Barry points out. “I— You need to know that Joe’s concerns aren’t baseless. What if I hurt you the same way?”

Eddie squeezes Barry’s hands softly and sighs. “Look Bear, I can tell you a thousand times that I don’t think you’ll do that. I can tell you a million more times that your past doesn’t matter to me. But none of that counts for shit if you don’t believe it, okay?” He sighs again and purses his lips. “I like you a lot, but… maybe until you start to see yourself the way I see you, we should—”

“If you say the words ‘take a break’ Eddie I swear I’ll—”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Eddie interjects. “I just… think we should slow down.”

Barry huffs out a laugh. “Ironic,” he quips.

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Shut up,” he chuckles. “I just mean that I don’t want you to freak out over anything or worry that we’re gonna get hurt, okay? We’ll take this at whatever speed you’re comfortable with.”

Barry smiles and leans into Eddie, wrapping his arms around him tightly. “Thanks,” he mumbles. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” Eddie teases, pressing a kiss to Barry’s head. “Now come on, we need to go check on my sister and then maybe we can revisit that whole ‘breakfast in bed’ thing.”

Barry smirks. “I like the way you think, Detective.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehehe.... hope y'all enjoy the fluff. Remember these chapters fondly over the course of the next few updates ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go from normal-crazy to wild-crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always for reading! Kudos/Comment/Share if you like it! Or if you don't! And check me out across social media @ starkidmack!

Things around the precinct go back to relatively normal. The Flash starts working more regularly with CCPD to help apprehend criminal metas in exchange for leniency for past crimes, and Cisco and Barry spend their free time trying to better hone in on Barry's abilities. Eddie even finds his own apartment, and it’s a lot closer to Barry and to work than his last place was. As soon as he signed the lease, he’d even taken to carrying a spare key in his pocket, hoping for the right moment to give it to his boyfriend.

It all shifts from relatively calm to completely batshit though after a few weeks. It’s a Wednesday, several weeks after Valentine's Day, when a file folder drops onto Eddie’s desk. He looks up and sees Joe looking at him expectantly. They haven't been on speaking terms much since their spat, so Eddie is surprised to see the man come to him with anything. “What’s this?” Eddie asks with a sigh.

Joe gestures to the folder. “Mark Mardon made an appearance last night,” he says stiffly. “Assaulted the medical examiner with giant hail then disappeared."

Eddie frowns and thumbs through the file, and his heart stops when he sees an image from the security camera showing another person standing in front of him, looking exactly like the Flash. It's especially jarring to Eddie because Barry had canceled on their date for 'something important' that came up.

"There has to be some sort of mistake," he says in disbelief. "The Flash had to have been there to stop him."

"Footage shows him disappearing with Mardon, like he did with Snart and Rory during the Rathaway fire," Joe says. "And I already confirmed with STAR Labs that Mardon was never handed over for containment."

"There has to be an explanation," Eddie replies.

Joe sighs. "We need a statement from the Flash," he says. "He seems to trust you. Can you track him down and--"

"And what, ask him if he's a Rogue again?" Eddie asks. "I..." he sighs and shakes his head. "I'll try to find him and get this sorted out."

“A good man is fighting for his life. You better do more than try, and you better hope Patty doesn't find out," Joe says. 

He walks off and Eddie flips through the report some more, then grabs his coat and his keys, sending a text to Barry as he leaves.

[Where are you? We need to talk.]

[training w cisco. can it wait?]

[We need to talk about last night.]

Eddie doesn't get a text back right away, so he sits in his car to wait for a reply. When his phone buzzes a few minutes later, he reads the text and sighs, then puts his car in gear.

[meet me @ my place.]

As he drives, Eddie cranks the radio, but it doesn't help to drown out his thoughts. Barry was present during an assault committed by a member of his so-called family, a convicted murderer. He even helped him escape, then didn't report the incident. Not even to Eddie. He wants to believe that there's a reasonable explanation, that Barry wasn't even there and a shape-shifter took his place, or that he was forced into participating by Mardon. It takes everything he has to not even entertain the idea that Barry might have willingly been involved.

When he pulls up to Barry’s building, Eddie sits in the car for a minute to gather his thoughts before getting out. He walks in and up to Barry’s apartment slowly, hesitating a moment before finally knocking on the door.

Barry pulls it open a second later, furrowing his brow. “Eddie, it’s not what you think,” he says by way of greeting.

“Then tell me what it is,” Eddie responds. He steps past Barry into the small studio then turns to look at the other man. “Tell me you didn’t help a Mark Mardon, a wanted murderer, flee the scene of a crime. Tell me you aren’t an accessory to assault. And possibly to homicide.”

“Wait what?” Barry asks. “Eddie, that man was alive when I left him at the hospital.”

“Barely,” Eddie replies, folding his arms in front of himself. “I saw the report. He sustained a lot of internal injuries thanks to your... friend. He’s still in critical condition.”

Barry’s face falls and he shakes his head. “Eddie it’s not… I went there to stop Mark, okay?”

“Fine, but what was he doing there in the first place?” Eddie asks. “How did you know he would be there? And why didn’t you turn him in?”

“It’s… complicated,” Barry says, running a nervous hand through his hair. “I—I can’t tell you. But you have to believe me Eddie, I never meant for anybody to get hurt. That’s what I was trying to avoid.”

Eddie frowns. "You need to come give a statement," he says. "On the record, as the Flash."

"You know I can't do that," Barry says. "I can't... I can't explain what happened or why I was there, alright? But it's not what it looks like. I swear."

Eddie sighs. "That won't mean much to the DA, Bear. Why can't you just tell me what happened?"

"Because thing could get worse if I do."

"So was Mardon forcing you to be there?" Eddie asks. "Why didn't you just take him to the containment cells then?"

"I can't tell you!" Barry sighs in exasperation. "I can't explain this, okay? I just need you to trust me."

Eddie frowns. "How am I supposed to trust you?" He counters. "You know Mardon killed Patty's dad right? It's the whole reason she joined the task force! On top of that, you swore you were done with the criminal thing yet here you are, helping one of your Rogues flee a crime scene." Eddie shakes his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. He almost recoils when he feels the spare key still there. "I mean has this all just been some long con?" He continues despite himself. "Get me and the rest of the department off your back so you can help your buddies out?"

Barry scoffs. "I can't believe you're actually asking me that," he says. "Of course not. Mark was drunk and angry and I was there to stop him from hurting even more people."

"Then come down to the station and give a statement," Eddie pleads. "Give your side of things and help us find him before anybody else gets hurt."

"Are you asking as my boyfriend or as a cop?" Barry asks with a frown.

"Both," Eddie replies curtly. “I can’t keep sticking my neck out for you Barry, I told you that. My entire career is on the line, again, and so is your relationship with the DA's office and with CCPD. You need to cooperate or that all goes down the drain. Every deal you've made, every person you've saved, it won't mean anything."

"Does that include you?" Barry asks. He's suddenly very stiff, his arms crossed in front of himself tightly. "What about our relationship? If I don't cooperate, and if you don't trust me, what happens to us?"

Eddie's heart stops. He furrows his brow and considers Barry's question carefully. What are they supposed to do, how are they supposed to move forward, if Barry can't trust him with this? Or if Eddie is fired for defending him?

"I'm not giving you an ultimatum," he finally says. "But if you… if you can’t be honest with me, maybe we should put things on pause. At least until you can figure out which life you're gonna lead."

Barry's face falls but he sets his jaw. "What do you mean?" He asks, voice carefully neutral. "What are you saying?"

“I’m saying," Eddie sighs, "that you can't be a criminal and a hero. You can't defend Rogues and fight against them. You can't lie to me, or not tell me the truth, and then ask for my trust." Eddie swallows around the lump in his throat and he takes a deep breath before continuing. "Look Bear, I know what I want for myself and for us. But until you can figure that out for yourself, I don't think I can... do this."

Barry looks at the floor, but his face remains composed, his body unmoving. "That sounds a lot like an ultimatum," he mumbles.

"Barry--"

"Get out." He finally looks up at Eddie and his eyes shine with tears. "Get out of my home."

Eddie sets his jaw but nods. "Fine, I'll go. Call me when you make up your mind." He turns to walk out, lets the door slam behind him, and makes it all the way out to his car before he processes what just happened. He realizes, as he slides into the seat, that he had hoped Barry would come after him. When that proves it isn’t going to happen though, Eddie spares one last look to the building then drives away.

***

Eddie makes his way back to the station and slumps into his chair, still somewhat in shock. He’s barely just sat down when his phone starts ringing, but when he sees Cisco’s name flash across the screen, he just hits Ignore and tosses it to his desk. It starts ringing again after another moment and Eddie groans, ignoring the call again and slamming his phone back down.

“Whoa, everything okay?” Patty asks as she walks up.

“I’m fine,” Eddie grumbles with a scowl.

Patty raises her eyebrow. “Yeah, you look fine,” she says sarcastically. “What happened? Everything go okay with the Flash?”

“The Flash is out,” he responds.

“What?”

Eddie clenches his jaw. “The Flash. He’s… He didn’t cooperate. He was involved with an assault last night and couldn’t give me an alibi, or a reason to trust him. So.”

Patty frowns and drops into her chair, looking over at Eddie. “So he’s…”

“Not giving up his co-conspirator. Not cooperating. Apparently not trustworthy.”

“Sorry Ed,” Patty replies, reaching over to pat his arm. “At least Barry doesn’t have competition anymore?”

Eddie scowls again. “Yeah, you could say that,” he says, pulling his arm back. When his phone starts ringing again, Eddie sighs in aggravation.

“You should… probably get that,” Patty says. “And let me know about that double date. Iris won’t stop asking.” She smiles and pats Eddie’s arm again then gets up to leave.

With another sigh, Eddie picks up his phone and finally answers it. “I don’t want to talk about it, Cisco,” he grumbles.

“What?” Cisco replies. “What are you—no, never mind. There’s no time. Something came up and we need to talk. Now.”

“So talk, come on. I don’t have all day.”

“No, it’s not safe. I—shit.” Cisco goes silent for a few moments, then speaks up again, albeit quieter. “Eddie, I’m serious. Please.”

Eddie frowns. Cisco sounds desperate, almost on the verge of tears. “Okay Cisco, calm down,” Eddie says. “Come to the station, we can talk here.”

“Okay,” Cisco replies shakily. “If you don’t hear from me in fifteen minutes, check the Cortex.”

The line clicks dead before Eddie has time to ask what Cisco means. 

At the fourteen minute mark, Cisco comes flying into the station and heads right to Eddie’s desk looking panicked, clutching a messenger bag tightly. Eddie looks up with a frown, but Cisco starts speaking before Eddie gets the chance .“Oh thank god,” he says. “Come on, we—we need to go. Is there someplace… can we—”

“Whoa, hey,” Eddie says, standing and resting a hand on Cisco’s shoulder. “Cisco, slow down. Come on, tell me what’s going on.”

Cisco furrows his brow and shakes his head. “Not here,” he says, looking around worriedly. “There—there has to be somewhere…. no cameras, Eddie. No mics. This is—this is important.”

Eddie frowns. “Okay…” he mumbles. “Let’s… Come on.” He leads Cisco back to a conference room makes sure to lock the door. He sits and gestures to a chair. “Come on, tell me what this is about,” he says. “What’s got you so spooked, Cisco?”

Cisco sits and pulls a computer out of his bag and sets it up, looking over his shoulder and around the room cautiously before beginning to type away. “I…. um, y’know how the mainframe was hacked and Tony Woodward broke out?” he starts, still typing furiously. “Well, I was never able to recover the security footage, or trace the hack. I looked everywhere in our network for any sort of clue. It was all still pretty much locked under layers of encryption codes and super-viruses that I’ve never even seen before, and nothing I could do worked. Not even my hacker friend in Starling City and she’s like, world ranked.”

“The point, Cisco.”

“The point is I finally traced the hack!” Cisco stops typing and looks up, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. “I decoded the encryption and found the missing footage. I think I found a huge piece to this puzzle, but you need to see it to believe it.” He turns the computer around to reveal a video from a security camera pointing at Tony Woodward’s cell.

“What’s this?” Eddie asks.

“Just…. watch.” Cisco presses play and pulls his hands back, fidgeting nervously.

It starts off looking fairly normal and not much happens, until— “Is that Dr. Wells?” Eddie asks. Wells rolls into the corridor, right over to Tony’s cell, and Eddie pauses the video. “Wasn’t he on vacation?”

“Visiting his sister,” Cisco says. “But after I saw this, I looked into it. He doesn’t even have a sister.”

Eddie frowns. “You never verified that before?”

Cisco shakes his head. “I never had a reason to.” He reaches over and unpauses the video. “Keep watching.”

Eddie looks back to the computer and his eyes nearly bug out of his head. Wells stands out of his wheelchair and walks right up to the glass, mumbles something to Tony, then phases his hand right through the lock panel.

“He’s…. He’s….”

“Yeah,” Cisco replies. “Dr. Wells is our Man in Yellow.”

The video stops and he looks up at Cisco. “Who else knows about this?”

“Nobody,” Cisco replies. “I can’t…. I can’t even tell Caitlin. I can’t trust anybody.”

Eddie sighs. “Okay, what are the chances that Wells is being impersonated?” he asks.

Cisco frowns and pulls his computer back. “A meta that’s a shape-shifter and a speedster? Unlikely,” he says. “Unheard of so far, actually.”

“But not impossible,” Eddie points out. “Or, I mean, you said this guy might be from the future right? What if he’s got some sort of cloning ability?”

Cisco looks at Eddie skeptically. “Then where’s the real Wells?” he asks.

Eddie thinks for a moment and furrows his brow, until something occurs to him a moment later. “Dr. McGee from Mercury Labs said something once about Dr. Wells. She said that after the car accident he was in, he was a completely different person. What if the real Wells died that night and this person took over?”

Cisco frowns again. “We should check out the scene of the accident,” he says. “I know it’s been a long time but…”

Eddie nods. “Okay. We have to tell the Captain though. You know that right?”

“No!” Cisco exclaims. “Eddie, are you nuts?! What part of not trusting anybody don’t you get!”

“You trust me right?”

“Well… yeah…”

“Then trust me on this, okay?” Eddie stands and gestures to the door. “We have to tell Singh. I need him to sign off on this investigation.”

Cisco hesitates then finally nods. “Alright,” he says carefully. “But I’m driving.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... I'm not sorry...?


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a field trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, you know this is late, I know this is late, let's just let bygones be bygones okay? :P
> 
> Anyway, thanks as always for reading. Don't forget to kudos if you haven't, and comment/share if you have!

Singh is just as surprised as Eddie was when he sees the footage, and it doesn’t take much else to convince him to green light a trip to Starling City, on the condition that Joe and Patty go along as well for backup.

Walking out of Singh's office after the meeting, Eddie looks over at Cisco. "I'll talk to Patty and Joe. You go collect your things and meet us back here in a half hour."

Cisco frowns but nods. "Okay. Should I get, um, our mutual friend?" He asks.

Eddie's heart drops at the mention. "No," he says firmly.

"He should know about this," Cisco argues.

"Cisco I said no, okay?" Eddie replies. "He can't be anywhere near this."

Cisco frowns. "Is everything okay with you two?" He asks.

"I don't want to talk about it," Eddie mumbles. He stalks over to his desk and drops down again, rifling through his files as a distraction, but Cisco doesn't let up.

"Eddie, what happened?" Cisco presses.

"We're... on a break. I think. On pause," Eddie finally says. "He didn't tell me the truth about something really big and I can't trust him right now. Given recent events, I can't surround myself with people I can't trust, whether they're informants or... otherwise."

Cisco frowns. "If this is about what I think it's about, I think you should cut him some slack," he says. "He probably has a really good reason for not telling you something right now."

"Wait, you know what this is about?" Eddie asks. "Cisco, he helped a convicted felon flee the scene of an assault last night. He can't tell me why he was even there, and you're gonna stick up for him?"

Cisco groans. "Dude, listen," he says. "I know it sounds crappy, but some things are bigger than that. I... look." He glances over his shoulder then looks down at Eddie again. "You remember when we discovered what we did about you-know-who?" He asks in a hushed tone. "About where he's from, and what I said about Martin Stein's theories?"

Eddie furrows his brow and nods. "Yeah, I... I think so. What about them?" He asks.

"Well there's another popular theory that's a lot like the Butterfly Effect," Cisco continues. "If someone can travel through time, anything they reveal about what they saw can drastically, and maybe fatally, alter the course of history."

"Cisco, are you saying he..."

Cisco purses his lips. "I'm saying you should give him the benefit of the doubt. He won’t tell you anything because I warned him not to. Especially now that he's already interfered.” Eddie starts to argue again and Cisco shakes his head. “Eddie, he loves you a lot,” he interjects. “He doesn’t want to lose you but he literally can’t tell you anything, or else the entire timeline could be in trouble.”

Eddie frowns. “Did he tell you that?” he asks. “That he loves me?”

Cisco just rolls his eyes. “He doesn’t have to, dude. And neither do you. Just… talk to him, okay?” Eddie sighs and nods. It’s the least he can do, he supposes. Joe and Patty both walk back in and Cisco frowns. “Not now though. Now, you talk to them. I’m gonna go get my equipment. If I’m not back here in thirty minutes—”

“I’ll bring the calvary,” Eddie promises.

Cisco nods and walks out, and Eddie turns to look up at Joe and Patty as they walk over. “Was that Cisco Ramón?” Patty asks.

Eddie nods. “Yeah, we uh…. there’s been a break in the Man in Yellow case, he says. “Cap is sending us to Starling City to investigate.”

“Us who?” Joe asks with narrowed eyes, at the same time that Patty asks “Starling City?”

“The three of us plus Cisco, and yes,” Eddie replies. “Cisco’s going to run some of the same tests he ran at the old Allen house, and Cap wants us to go with him for backup.” When Patty and Joe glance at each other, Eddie rolls his eyes. “Look, we can explain it all on the way, but you guys need to get your stuff together and meet back here in a half hour. The sooner we can leave, the sooner we can get back.”

Patty and Joe share another look, but Patty nods. “Uh… okay,” she says. “Sounds like a plan.” She offers a small smile then walks off, leaving Joe to look down at Eddie awkwardly.

“Look. She told me about The Flash,” Joe says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I uh, I’m sorry. I know you believed in him pretty much more than anyone. I hope he comes around again.”

“Yeah…” Eddie mumbles. “Me too.”

***

As soon as Cisco arrives with a STAR Labs van, Joe claims the passenger seat, leaving Eddie and Patty to climb into the back. Once they hit the road, Cisco and Eddie start explaining the situation, but Joe can’t quite wrap his head around everything.

“One more time,” Joe says. “Without the science mumbo-jumbo. Make this as simple as possible okay? Because this is all…. a lot.”

Cisco sighs and looks in the rearview mirror at the other two. “Help me out here guys,” he says.

Eddie just rolls his eyes. “Time travel,” he says. “That’s really all you need to know, okay? The Flash and this Man in Yellow—“

“Reverse Flash!” Cisco interjects. “That’s what I’m calling him now, get it right!”

“Fine, the Flash and this _Reverse Flash_ ,” Eddie continues with a sigh, “the ones who were at Barry Allen’s house, they were from the future. It’s possible that after Reverse Flash killed the Allen’s, he escaped the Flash, killed Harrison Wells and his wife, and assumed Wells’ identity.”

“So he’s a speedster and a shapeshifter?” Patty asks. “Two completely different powers, is that possible?”

Cisco shrugs. “We’ve seen a guy that can turn his entire form into sentient gas, and a girl that can teleport in the blink of an eye. I’m not really sure ‘possible’ is a qualifier anymore,” he says. 

“We won’t really know until we get there,” Eddie adds.

Joe frowns and turns to look at Eddie. “What is the plan when we get there, exactly?” he asks.

Eddie glances to Patty then Joe. He hadn’t meant to take the lead on this, but somehow that’s exactly what’s happened. “Local PD is already expecting us. So um, you and Patty could go through the files about the accident,” he says. “Me and Cisco can start at the scene…?”

Joe shrugs. “Works for me,” he says.

He turns to ask Cisco more questions and Patty looks over at Eddie. “You okay?” she asks softly.

Eddie sighs. “I’m fine,” he mumbles, glancing over to her.

“You know what ‘fine’ stands for, right?”

“Patty, I swear, if you’re about to give me that stupid line…”

Patty smiles and nudges Eddie’s shoulder. “Alright, I won’t. But you know what I mean,” she says. “Come on, the thing with the Flash has you that bummed?”

Eddie sighs again. “It’s not just that,” he says. “Barry and I…. we’re kind of on a break.”

“Weren’t you just talking about giving him a key a couple days ago?” she asks. Eddie frowns and nods, and Patty reaches over to rub his shoulder. “Oh Ed. I’m sorry.”

Eddie shrugs. “Thanks,” he mumbles. “He just… needs to figure some stuff out, I guess. We both do.”

Patty offers a small smile. “I’m sure you guys will,” she says. “I know you care about each other a lot.”

“Thanks,” Eddie says again. He gives a small, unconvincing smile, then resigns himself to looking out the window for the rest of the drive.

Several hours later, they find themselves at the Starling City Police Department. They’re shown to Captain Lance’s office, and the man stands to greet them as they enter.

“Quentin Lance, good to meet you,” he says as he shakes their hands.

“You as well,” Eddie says. “I’m detective Eddie Thawne, we spoke on the phone. These are detectives Joe West and Patty Spivot, and this is Cisco Ramón.”

Lance sighs and rubs the back of his neck. “So, explain to me why you’re looking into a fifteen year old cold case,” he says.

“It has to do with a meta-human,” Eddie says. “It’s possible a meta killed two people and assumed one of their identities.”

“But… I didn’t think metas existed until that uh, lab accident,” Lance points out.

Cisco nods. “Which is exactly why we need to do some tests at the scene of the accident,” he says, “and determine what happened that night.”

Lance frowns but nods. “Alright, well, we’ll do what we can to help you,” he says. “I’ve got my hands full right now but the guys down in Archives will get you everything you need.”

Lance directs them where to go and Patty and Joe head off. Cisco and Eddie make to walk out as well, but they’re stopped by a voice calling out Cisco’s name.

They turn to see two women standing by the other entrance, the shorter of the two waving enthusiastically.

“Felicity!” Cisco replies with a smile. He looks back at Eddie and grins. “That’s the hacker friend I told you about,” he says.

“ _That’s_ your hacker friend?” Eddie mumbles as the women walk over. In her designer dress and sharp features, she definitely doesn’t look like a hacker. At least, not compared to Cisco’s Star Wars t-shirt and frizzy hair.

Cisco just smirks, but doesn’t get a chance to answer as Felicity envelops him in a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re here, we need your help,” she says. “Oh!” She looks over at Eddie and hold her hand out. “I’m Felicity Smoak. You must be Barry’s boyfriend?”

Eddie looks at Cisco with a frown, and Cisco just kind of grimaces and shakes his head at Felicity. “Uh, Eddie, Felicity. Felicity, Eddie,” he introduces awkwardly. He looks over to the other woman standing besides Felicity and gives a small smile. “And uh, I’m—“

“Cisco, I know,” she says. “I’m ADA Laurel Lance.”

“Lance?” Cisco asks with wide eyes. “The Captain’s daughter?”

“And Sara’s sister.” Laurel says with a sad smile.

Cisco sighs. “I’m sorry to hear about her,” he says. “I didn’t know her very well, but she was one of the best.”

Laurel smiles again and nods. “Yeah, she was,” she says. “Well look, I took over her… _project_ , and we were hoping you could help me with some upgrades?”

Eddie watches the whole interaction with confusion, looking between all three of them. “Uh…”

Cisco glances to Eddie then looks back at the women. “We have something like, super important to take care of first,” he says, “but I promise I’ll try to make time for my favorite hacktivist and company. I think I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

Felicity grins and nods. “Okay, text me when you’re on your way. You know he hates surprises."

Cisco gives a thumbs up and blushes a little when Laurel winks at him as she pulls Felicity off. "Dude," Eddie says, nudging his shoulder. "Wanna explain to me what's going on? Like how the ADA of Starling City knows your hacker friend? Or how Barry knows her?"

Cisco blushes again and looks at Eddie. "Long story," he says. "One I can explain on the way though. We need to get a move on."

Eddie frowns but nods. "Fine, let's go," he says. "But you better start talking."

***

"So wait, hold on," Eddie says as he steps out of the van. They find themselves on a deserted stretch of highway, just a few miles outside of the city center. “I’m just having trouble comprehending that not only do you know the Arrow and his team, but you've worked with them too. And apparently Barry's trained with them, and nobody thought to clue me in.”

Cisco nods as he starts to pull equipment out of the back. “I mean, that about sums it up,” he says as he hands Eddie a hand-held device.

“Why didn’t anybody tell me?” Eddie asks. He takes a coil of cable that Cisco hands back to him and sighs. “Cisco, come on.”

Cisco pulls out another device then pushes the door closed. “Barry didn’t want you to worry, okay?” He grabs the cord and device from Eddie again and starts setting everything up.

Eddie just sighs and leans against the van and watches, sipping his own coffee. It isn’t as good as Jitters, but after the day he’s had so far, it’s a fine substitute. “Huh, why would I worry?” Eddie asks sarcastically. “It’s not like the Arrow is a murderer with a warped sense of justice, or anything!”

“Barry’s entire group of friends consists of murderers and thieves,” Cisco points out.

“He knows them. They’re loyal to each other,” Eddie retorts. “And anyway, he’s not like them anymore. Or he wasn’t.”

Cisco frowns and looks up from his work. “He’s not,” he says firmly. “And anyway, Barry can take care of himself. And working with that team has really helped him. Why do you think he really started getting good at the hero thing?”

Eddie frowns again as Cisco goes back to fidgeting with the tools. “So he’s been lying to me for weeks?” he asks. “And you’ve all been covering for him?”

Cisco sighs again and finally stands up, holding his contraption carefully. “Look Eddie, maybe Barry hasn’t been entirely forthcoming, but it’s only been to protect you, okay? He didn't want you to worry, and the more you know, the more you're at risk. It's like standard bad guy M.O. to go after the significant other. I just think you need to give him a little more credit.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “I’ll consider it,” he says. “Let’s just get this over with. It’s been a long day between Barry and Wells and all of this and I just want to get to the hotel.”

Cisco sighs. “Whatever you say dude,” he mumbles. “Okay, here, come on.” He turns the device on and starts walking around, holding it out in front of him. It beeps every so often, almost like a metal detector. Almost. “You see anything that would indicate a speedster?” Cisco asks.

“A speedster from fifteen years ago?” Eddie asks. “No, but I was thinking about this. If Wells did take over, uh, Wells, where’d the body go?”

Cisco furrows his brow. “You’re assuming there was a body,” he says.

“Well, yeah,” Eddie says. “Whether this Wells cloned the original Wells or shifted into him, he had to do something with the other guy.”

“And what if he vaporized OG Wells? Or absorbed him? Or took him back in time to the Paleolithic era? Or did some other horrible future-y thing?”

Eddie sighs. “Okay, Debbie Downer. If there's no body, there would still be a trace of whatever he did to him, right? But if there IS a body, where would it have gone?”

Cisco shrugs. “He threw it in the trunk?”

Eddie shakes his head. “First Responders would have seen some sort of sign,” he points out. “Look over there.” He points to the roadside barrier, and the forest beyond. “If one needed to quickly dispose of a body, why not somewhere nobody could accidentally stumble upon it?”

Cisco sighs and looks over to the barrier. “So we’re just gonna… what? Go poking around in the underbrush for a fifteen year old body that might not even be there?”

Eddie shrugs. “It’s worth a shot isn’t it?” He walks over and steps over the metal barrier, shuffling his feet around a little bit. “Look, if there’s nothing here, there’s nothing here. But I have a gut feeling about this, Cisco. Come on, what do we have to lose?”

“Uh, our lives?” Cisco mumbles.

Eddie just rolls his eyes and walks around, pushing some of the mud and dead leaves aside with his foot. He doesn’t even notice Cisco behind him until he hears the device beeping quickly. Eddie turns and looks over his shoulder at Cisco as he continues to walk. “What does that thing even do?” he asks.

“It measures tachyons,” Cisco says. “And it’s picking up a huge tachyonic presence somewhere nearby.”

Eddie stops and turns to look at Cisco again. “So I was right?” he asks with a grin.

“About the body? We don’t—“ Cisco cuts off and his eyes go wide.

“We don’t what?” Eddie continues. “Cisco, what’s your problem?”

“That.” Cisco points to Eddie’s hand and Eddie looks over, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head when he sees the coffee floating out of the cup he’s holding. Cisco gulps and steps closer to Eddie, and the sensor starts beeping wildly

Eddie furrows his brow. “Barry said this happened that night,” he says. “We must be close.” He starts kicking around with his foot again, keeping a careful eye on the coffee floating precariously above his hand.

Cisco nods and bends down, then starts to brush leaves and mud aside as well, only to freeze a moment later. “Dios mío….” he mumbles.

Eddie looks down and his eyes go wide when he sees what Cisco stumbled on. “Is that…?”

“A foot,” Cisco says faintly. “I… yup. That’s—that’s a human foot.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes sideways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Y'all saw the summary. I have nothing else to say on the matter. 
> 
> Make sure you kudos/comment/share and find me on social media @ starkidmack!

After loading up the body, Cisco and Eddie retrieve Patty and Joe. They unanimously decide to head back to STAR Labs that night to perform the autopsy instead of risking exposing anybody else to their sensitive work. Cisco sends a text promising Felicity and Laurel that he’ll be in touch to collaborate with them, then climbs in behind the wheel and they take off.

As they drive, Patty glances to the back of the van where the body is. ”I just can't believe you just came equipped with a body bag," she mumbles.

"You never know what this line of work will entail," Cisco replies stiffly, gripping the steering wheel. He glances at Eddie in the rearview mirror and sighs. "Eddie, can you call Cait? Tell her we're en route and she needs to prep the morgue."

"STAR has a _morgue_?!" Patty asks incredulously. "Who are you guys??"

Eddie just rolls his eyes and pulls his phone from his pocket. Just as he’s about to dial Caitlin, a flash of lightning erupts in the van and a moment later, a figure clad in yellow stands in the road before them.

“Cisco look out!” Eddie shouts.

Cisco swerves to avoid whatever’s in front of them but then it’s gone and the van careens towards the barrier on the side of the road. “Oh god, I can’t stop!” Cisco exclaims. “Everybody hold on!”

They crash through the barrier and don’t stop until the van hits a tree, causing it to roll down the embankment. Screams fill the car and as glass and dirt fly everywhere. It feels like they roll forever until they hit another tree full-on and finally stop moving.

When Eddie finally comes to, he’s disoriented but quickly realizes he’s on his side, suspended only by his seatbelt. Spots swim in his vision as he struggles to keep his eyes open. He can feel something warm running down his face and recognizes it as blood, but he can’t quite process how to react to it in this moment. Looking around, Eddie tries to asses the situation, to see if anyone else is unconscious—or worse—but he can’t tell much. Not when everything around him is fading in and out of focus.

It’s then that he hears it. Footsteps. Whoever it is crunches through the foliage and the bits of debris from the crash. Eddie hears a horrible metallic sound and manages to twist his head up just enough to see the door being flung open. The last thing he sees before succumbing to unconsciousness is an arm clad in yellow reaching through the opening towards him.

***

Eddie blinks his eyes open slowly and groans. His head pounds and a wave of nausea washes over him, but he manages to push it aside and get his bearings. He notices that he’s sitting up in a chair, his arms restrained tightly behind his back and legs tied to the sides of the chair. He takes a quick look around and realizes that he’s surrounded by concrete walls and metal pipes. Water drips faintly somewhere in the distance but there are no visible clues as to where he is — or how long he’s been here. And even if he knew that, he has no way of contacting the team. _If they’re even alive_ , he thinks.

He tries to test the strength of the rope holding him, but it’s tied so tightly that Eddie can barely move. He struggles for another minute before he hears footsteps. “Hello?” he finally calls. “Hello! Help!”

“Quiet!” There’s a flash of red and suddenly the Reverse Flash appears before Eddie and smacks him hard across the face, the crack of his hand connecting with Eddie’s face echoing in the chamber. Eddie spits out the blood that fills his mouth and looks up at the meta in front of him. He’s not wearing his yellow suit anymore, and Eddie reasons that Wells is either ready to reveal himself to the team or he’s not planning on keeping Eddie alive much longer. Neither thought is particularly reassuring.

Wells just smirks and grabs Eddie’s face, tilting it to look him in the eyes. “Nobody can hear you down here, detective,” he says. “You’re all alone.” Stepping back, Wells gives Eddie a sinister smirk. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Eobard Thawne."

"...Thawne," Eddie repeats in disbelief. "Cisco said you were related to me. I didn't think you'd still have my family's name. Eobard though?” Eddie shakes his head and huffs out a chuckle. “That’s unfortunate.”

Eobard shrugs. “My name is a distinguished one where I come from,” he says. “A distinguished name for a member of a distinguished family.” Eddie raises his eyebrow and Eobard smirks. “Oh yes, detective. Your family is full of brilliant engineers, professors, doctors, celebrities, even politicians. The one insignificant smudge on our family history is you.”

“I don’t believe you,” Eddie spats, tugging at his restraints again.

“You make nothing of your pitiful police career,” Eobard continues smugly. “You do nothing with your life. You die completely and utterly alone, just as you are now. Even your sisters and their children, and their children’s children, and so on… nobody speaks of Uncle Eddie.”

Eobard smirks again and pulls a small remote-looking device out of his pocket and clicks a button, a hologram appearing in front of Eddie. It appears to be a news article from the Central City Citizen dated from April 2024, with a headline across the top reading FLASH MISSING; VANISHES IN CRISIS. Eddie frowns and looks up to Eobard. “What is this?” he asks.

“A news article as it should appear in my time,” the meta responds. He walks around behind Eddie and clicks a button again, and the image splits, a similar news article appearing besides it. “This is the article now. As the Flash has gotten closer to becoming the hero he’s destined to be, it’s changed more and more to reflect my reality and once it does…” Eobard smirks. “Regardless, do you notice any differences between the two articles, detective?”

Eddie studies both articles. They look and read nearly exactly the same and then…. Eddie frowns when he finally sees the byline on the original. “Iris West-Allen…” He looks up to Eobard with a glare. “Why are you showing this to me?”

Eobard just grins and lets out a sigh. “Oh Edward, you really are the dumb one in the family, aren’t you?” He clicks his device again and the images disappear. “Rest easy, you won’t die today, but that fate is coming for you. And once it catches up, young mister Allen will seek comfort with the only other person he’s loved in this timeline, and my future will finally be repaired.” 

"You're lying," Eddie sneers.

Eobard circles back around to face Eddie, chuckling and holding up a single key. "I found this in your pocket. A spare key to that apartment downtown, no doubt? Intended for your beau I’m sure.” He tosses it aside and Eddie glares daggers at him. "You know, you were never meant to be with Barry Allen. In every possible outcome I've analyzed, Barry Allen finds happiness with Iris West, and you find none. This is just another side effect of temporal displacement, I suppose."

Eddie clenches his jaw and glares at the other man. “What does that mean?” he asks. “Why should I even believe you? You could be making this up for all I know, but it won’t work. They know who you are and it’s only a matter of time before Barry comes for you and takes you down.”

Eobard smirks again. “I’m counting on it,” he replies. He starts circling Eddie slowly, and Eddie can't help but think of a predator circling its prey. “You see, Barry Allen becoming a hero is exactly what I need to return to my timeline.”

“What?” Eddie asks. “That makes no sense.”

“On the contrary, detective.” Eobard walks around and faces Eddie again, and he smiles smugly. “You see, once The Flash becomes a hero, a true hero, the timeline will be restored and I can destroy him for good.”

Eddie tugs against the restraints again and scowls. “What do you have against The Flash?” he demands.

Eobard lets out another bitter chuckle. “I’m from the future, Eddie. I’ve been fighting the Flash for decades… Centuries, perhaps. He took everything from me, and I've been waiting to return the favor.” As he talks, Eobard starts walking again, pacing slowly in front of Eddie. 

“He chased me back in time some fifteen years ago, and I had him right where I wanted him. If I could destroy Barry Allen in that time, take everything from him the way he’s done to me… I’d prevent him from ever becoming The Flash. What I didn’t anticipate, however, was that I’d lose my speed in the process. And so I had to re-create the Flash, the man I just destroyed.”

Eddie watches Eobard carefully and furrows his brow. “You set off the accelerator on purpose,” he says.

Eobard nods. “I had to assume this identity and create the explosion that would give Barry Allen his speed, many years too soon. Unfortunately, the changes I had made to the timeline created a different version of the Flash. A villain rather than a hero. I discovered that without the hero, my future is in shambles. But now… things seem to be repairing themselves. And I believe that nearly rescuing his lover from impending doom is the last push that mister Allen needs to truly become a hero and cement my future."

"It's a trap...." Eddie finally realizes. "As soon as he finds out where we are..." A wicked grin spreads across Eobard's face and Eddie sets his jaw. "You don't have to drag this out, you know," he mumbles. "I've made my peace. What difference does it make luring Barry in and killing me now instead of in a few days?"

Eobard huffs. "That, dear uncle, is one of the many intricacies of temporal manipulation," he replies. "You see, had Tony Woodward killed you when he was supposed to, not much would have changed. But I missed that window of opportunity. And if you died now while the window is closed, I could risk the Flash's integrity as a hero. The Thawne sister whose bloodline leads to my existence could potentially become so withdrawn over her brother's death that she never meets the person she's supposed to have a child with. So I need to wait for the window to open again before I act. Which means your pitiful existence can continue, at least for a little while.”

Eddie glares at the man in front of him. “The Flash will find you,” he says, “and he’ll take you down. You’re going to spend the rest of your life in that prison you created, and you’ll never see your future again.”

“Not if I have a say in the matter.” A sinister grin crosses Eobard’s features and he rears his arm back, only to land a solid punch to the side of Eddie’s head in a flash of light. Eddie groans and his vision swims in front of him briefly before it all goes dark again.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rescue party, a team meeting, and a repeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this is late! Time is tricky tbh. As you may have noticed, there's finally an end in sight for this fic! It's tentative, but you can expect somewhere around five more chapters. I'll keep y'all updated if that changes,
> 
> Speaking of updates: be sure to check me out on Twitter/Tumblr/IG @ starkidmack for updates about this fic! I recently posted my Pinterest board for it (https://www.pinterest.com/pipermack/dust-gold/) As always, thank you for reading! Please kudos/comment/share if you're enjoying the story!

Eddie has no way to gauge how long he's been held prisoner. He fades in and out of consciousness several times after the initial conversation with Eobard and he sees no sign of the speedster either, or of food or water. When he’s not sleeping - or passed out - for who knows how long, the minutes that he is awake creep into what feels like hours, then days. The conditions start to wear on him as Eobard's words play in his mind over and over.

"That fate is coming for you."

"You die completely and utterly alone."

"Barry Allen finds happiness... And you find none.”

They seem to echo off the concrete walls around him, filling his head as he comes to realize… maybe the meta was right. Maybe he and Barry aren’t meant to be together. Maybe he will end up the disappointment his parents always thought he was. Maybe… he has no future.

Those thoughts continue to flit in and out of Eddie’s mind as he continues to look for any sort of a way out. But with no way to move and no obvious signs of where he is, and as his fatigued body continues to fight for rest, there isn’t much he can do.

Suddenly, his eyes blink open and he comes to consciousness yet again as a loud mechanical sound emits from somewhere above him.

“Well that’s new…” Eddie mumbles to himself. He winces slightly, not realizing how raw his throat had gotten. There are more sounds, a whirring and a crashing and then…. shouting?

In his half-delusional state, Eddie doesn’t stop to think that this could be part of Thawne’s trap, he just needs to get out. So he shouts. “Help! Help me!” he calls, straining his voice as he does. “Someone! Down here! Help me!”

He calls out for help over and over until he hears something loud right behind him, a loud thud and then—

“Oh god, Eddie!” comes Patty’s voice.

“Get Barry back here!” responds Joe’s.

They’re by his side after a moment, Joe quickly hurrying to cut Eddie’s restraints away before he and Patty help him stand. He must have been sitting for a long time because standing is entirely harder than it should be, and walking seems like an impossible feat.

“Come on, we got you,” Patty says as they slowly make their back way to a ladder that leads up to an opening.

“Where… are we?” Eddie asks softly, leaning heavily into Joe as they walk.

“Underneath the particle accelerator at STAR,” Joe replies. “Don’t try to talk right now, buddy. Let’s get you some help, okay?”

Patty and Joe manage to help Eddie up and out of the cellar, Cisco’s waiting hands helping to pull him onto solid ground once more. He barely remembers the walk to the med bay or Caitlin ushering him to a bed, barely remembers Iris appearing. But she’s here now, tucked into Patty’s side as they all watch Eddie, nobody ever going completely out of sight. 

The first thing Caitlin insists on is a CT scan to check his head injury. After that, he sits almost catatonic as she pokes and prods, sticking him with an IV as one point. “Your vitals seem mostly normal,” she finally says, taking down a few notes. “You're more than a bit dehydrated but the IV will help with that. You've got a few bruised ribs and a crack, but nothing completely broken from what I can tell. Your head injury could have been a lot worse but you're probably just going to have a headache for a while. But if anything odd starts up, get to a hospital. Besides that, you just need to rest for a couple days, okay? And drink lots of fluids.”

Eddie nods slowly and takes the bag she hands him. Inside are all of his belongings that someone must have recovered from the crash; his keys, wallet, and cellphone, and even his jacket, now torn and dirtied. Eddie opens his mouth to respond when there’s a sudden flash of lightning and a gust that send papers flying in the air. Eddie tenses but when the lightning stops, he sees Barry, doubled over and out of breath. The sight alone nearly brings tears to Eddie’s eyes. He starts to smile, but it falters when Eddie once again remembers Thawne’s words. 

_“You were never meant to be with Barry Allen.”_

“He was too fast,” Barry says in between catching his breath. “He’s always too fast! I need to—” He stops when he sees Eddie. “You—Eddie... Where—”

“Right here, under STAR,” Cisco says. “They found him below the emergency hatch.”

In an instant, Barry is in front of Eddie, pulling him into a careful hug. “Oh my god, I thought I lost you,” he mumbles into Eddie’s shoulder. “Eddie I— I’m so sorry, I thought I looked everywhere. I thought… God, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I should have told you what happened. I’m so—”

“Hey…” Eddie hugs back gently then pats Barry’s back. “It’s okay…” He says. Barry leans back to look at him and Eddie nods, glances over Barry’s shoulder to Iris then back. “It’s okay Bear. Sometimes… we miss the clues. Even when they’re right in front of us.”

Something occurs to Eddie then and he looks back over Barry’s shoulder to the Wests and Patty, who don’t look surprised in any way that Barry came speeding in. “I take it… they know?” he asks.

Barry nods. “When Caitlin told me what happened, when they came back without you… I needed their help. I’ve spent the last week tearing this city apart trying to find you and it wouldn’t have been possible without them.”

“A week…?” Eddie repeats. “It’s been that long? What does my family think? What about Singh?”

Barry moves to the side, wrapping his arm around Eddie's shoulders carefully. Joe just sighs. "Your parents were told you were going undercover," he says. "We didn't know how long you'd be out of contact but you'd get in touch when you could."

"What about the captain?" Eddie presses. "And the rest of the team?"

"Everybody's been looking for you, Eddie," Patty says. "We haven't stopped once. We exhausted nearly every resource trying to bring you home."

Iris rubs Patty's back slowly and looks up at Eddie. "Why did he take you?" She asks. "What did Wells want with you?"

The words bounce around in Eddie's mind again, everything Wells told him about Barry and Iris, about dying alone and unimportant, about wanting to kill him to force Barry's hand. "I.... don't know," he finally says, and hopes the hesitation comes off as exhaustion rather than dishonesty. "He told me his name was Eobard Thawne, and that he's been fighting The Flash for decades."

"Eobard Thawne..." Joe mumbles, looking over at Cisco.

"Like my dream," Cisco says. "I don't get it though, how does he have your name decades later if he's not your direct descendant?"

Eddie shrugs. "I'm sure there's lots of reasons one of my sisters would keep her maiden name." He glances up at Barry at his side then back out to the group in front of him. "Look, it's apparently been a week since I've slept in my own bed. Or had anything to eat for that matter. I'd really like to go home, if that's okay? I can answer more questions later but I just... need to rest."

"Sure," Joe says. Caitlin steps forward to remove the IV from Eddie's hand and Joe sighs. "I'll call Cap, let him know you're okay," he says. "We'll send a detail over to your place too."

"Joe..." Eddie starts, but the other man holds up his hand.

"Don't start, Thawne," Joe says. "This psycho has had it out for you for how long now? You're not going home unprotected."

Eddie frowns. "He's a metahuman from the future with super speed. What are a couple of normal cops gonna do?"

“Make us feel better," Joe counters. "You don't get a say, Eddie. Not about this."

Eddie sets his jaw. "Fine," he grumbles. "If that's what's best. I just don't want more people getting hurt because of me."

Joe comes over and pats Eddie's shoulder softly. "Let us worry about that," he says. "You just go home and worry about taking care of yourself."

Eddie sighs and nods. "Yeah, okay," he concedes, looking up at Barry with a slight smile.

Barry smiles in return and starts to help Eddie stand but Patty comes forward and gives him a stern look. "I've got him," she says with an edge of snark in her voice. She hooks her arm around Eddie's waist and eyes Barry with disdain. "Me and Iris will get him home. You should stay here. Figure out the next play before anybody _else_ gets hurt.”

Eddie looks between the two in confusion. He wasn't used to that kind of hostility from Patty. Barry, maybe, sometimes. But never from his partner.

Barry frowns but nods anyway, seemingly less perturbed by the incident, and steps away. "You're... probably right," Barry mumbles. He looks to Eddie and gives him another half smile. "I'll talk to you later okay? Be safe."

"My middle name," Eddie replies with a weak attempt at a chuckle. He looks over at Patty and nods, and with considerably less effort than earlier, she helps him stand. Eddie glances at Barry again then nods to Joe once as they shuffle outside.

Once they get to Patty's car, Eddie slides into the back seat with a wince. "What was that about?" He asks as Patty and Iris both climb in.

"What do you mean?" Patty asks, glancing back at him in the rear view mirror.

"You and Barry, that was... odd."

Patty clenches her jaw and looks back out as they leave the STAR Labs parking lot. "You remember what happened to my dad, right?" She asks.

"Of course," Eddie replies in confusion. "But what does--" He thinks back to a conversation they'd had when Patty first joined the task force, about how her dad had been killed by-- "Oh shit,” he breathes. “So… You found out.”

Iris reaches over and rubs her shoulder gently, but Patty shrugs her off. “Yeah, I found out,” she says. “I never really considered the Flash, er, Barry's connection to Mardon until the incident at the morgue. They were both part of the Rogues but they were never involved in anything together until that night.”

Eddie frowns again. “Patty, I’m so sorry. I should have told you as soon as I found out about what happened.”

Patty glances back to Eddie again and shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it,” she says. “You had a lot going on that day, and honestly I’m not mad at you. I’m just glad you’re safe.” She looks back to the road and sighs. “I just… He chose the man who killed my father over all of us. He’s hurt Iris in the past, he lied to you… and I just can’t bring myself to trust somebody who keeps hurting the people I care about.”

“To be fair,” Iris says gently, “I forgave him a long time ago. And he did bring Mardon in after the fact.”

“Wait, he did what?” Eddie asks.

Iris looks back to Eddie. “He gave up everything he had with the Rogues and brought Mardon in for containment while you were gone,” she says. “He said he made up his mind.”

“Too little too late if you ask me,” Patty grumbles.

Iris sighs and gives Eddie a sympathetic smile. Eddie returns it then leans his head against the window, letting his eyes fall closed again.

A short while later, they arrive at Eddie's building. "Home sweet home," he mumbles, looking up at the building. The last time he was here, Barry had just blown him off when he helped Mardon escape. And now, if Thawne knew where he lived…

"Iris, why don't you help Eddie," Patty suggests. "I'll wait here for the detail." 

Iris nods. "Be safe," she says, leaning in and kissing Patty's cheek. She climbs out of the car and helps Eddie out as well, letting him lean on her for support as they make their way inside.

At the elevator, Eddie hits the button then leans against the wall. "Thanks for your help," he says. "And... for believing in Barry. He needs more of that."

Iris smiles. "It's my pleasure," she says. "And I've always believed in Barry. Even after we stopped talking... I always hoped he'd find more people who saw how great he was. Is."

The elevator opens and they step inside, Eddie hitting the button for his floor. "He did, it just came in the form of the Rogues," he replies, leaning back against the wall again. 

Iris chuckles. "Yeah, I guess so. But it came in the form of you too." Eddie blushes slightly and Iris grins. "I mean it. He's really lucky to have you. He tells me that all the time."

Eddie looks up and furrows his brow slightly. "He does?" He asks. "I... didn't know you two were talking again."

"Oh yeah!" She says. "After the whole Girder thing... Well that was the first time we'd seen each other since high school. We went for coffee, reconnected. We’ve met up like once or twice a week since. We used to be inseparable y'know? So it's been so great to get to be his friend again, and to see how good you've been for him."

Eddie frowns slightly but nods. "Well um, good. I'm glad for you guys," he says, trying to quash the pang of jealousy he feels. It doesn't help when Thawne's words start echoing in his mind again though.

Iris seems to sense that something is off with Eddie so she just nods and offers a half smile. Maybe she attributes it to his exhaustion, or maybe she knows Barry is still kind of a tough subject. Either way, Eddie is thankful when the elevator finally stops and the door slides open. He quietly directs her to his apartment and struggles with his keys a moment before finally getting the door open and turning to look at Iris again. "Thanks again," he says. "I think I can handle it from here."

"Okay, if you say so," she says. "Me and Patty will be right downstairs if you need anything, and the detail should be here shortly."

Eddie rolls his eyes but nods. "Thanks," he responds. "I'll call if I need anything."

"Good," Iris says. "You better." She squeezes his shoulder then walks back towards the elevator.

Once inside his apartment, Eddie closes and locks the door then leans against it with a sigh. As everything from the last week starts to flood over him, the weight of the situation hits him full force. He's not really safe anywhere, not if Thawne knows where he lives. Barry seems well on his way to... whatever he's supposed to have with Iris. And everything Eddie does now, he realizes, could be playing into a trap to get him and Barry both killed. 

Eddie sinks slowly to the floor and brings his knees up to his chest, his breathing rate rapidly increasing as his head spins with every anxiety that's been piling up, every worry, every fear. He’s going to die soon, he knows it. The Reverse Flash knows where he is, could be tracking their whole team’s every movement. He’ll never be good enough for Barry either. He was never going to be good enough, he should have known that. His father was right when he said that Eddie would never amount to anything more than a glorified security guard. He’ll never be anything, he’ll never get out of this alive. He—

As Eddie’s thoughts race, his patio door flies open and a flash of lightning erupts in front of him.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, an explanation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (CW for a panic attack)
> 
> Sorry for being late once again y'all. I'd like to blame America and say that I was busy planning for the holiday but alas, I was just plain forgetful. Good news though, you won't have to put up with this much longer! The story is almost over!
> 
> Wait. Maybe that's not good news.
> 
> Anyway. Thanks for reading! As always, don't forget to comment/kudos/share if you like what you're reading! And follow me on Twitter/IG at starkidmack, and check the Pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/pipermack/dust-gold/ !

An involuntary yell escapes Eddie as he buries his face in his knees, ignoring the stabbing in his side and the tightening in his chest. He doesn't want Thawne's face to be the last thing he sees before he dies.

"Eddie?" Calls a voice that Eddie wasn't expecting to hear. It sounds far away though, muffled by a sudden ringing in his ears. "Eddie, oh my god..." Hands are suddenly on his face and Eddie flinches back, looks up to see Barry’s golden eyes staring at him. "Eddie, it's me," Barry says slowly. “I need you to take deep breaths. Like this.”

Eddie nods shakily and follows Barry’s breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth, until his breathing returns to normal. “…Barry?” Eddie asks softly. The ringing in his ears slowly starts to fade and he straightens up, leans back against the door. “I… sorry, I thought…”

Barry sits back on his knees and frowns. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have… I didn't think Patty would let me in through the front but I didn't think about… well, anything else. I'm… here, you stay here. I'll be right back.” Barry gets up and goes into the kitchen, comes back a moment later with a glass of water. He hands it to Eddie then drops to the floor in front of him. “Have you had a panic attack before?” He asks.

Eddie shakes his head, and Barry frowns. “Just keep breathing,” he says. “I used to get them when I was a kid. It'll pass and you'll be okay.”

Eddie nods. He sips the water and takes a few slow breaths, wincing some as his ribs twinge with pain. Several moments pass before he finally speaks up. “What are you doing here?” He asks quietly.

“I wanted to check on you,” Barry replies. “I thought we could maybe talk about… everything.”

Eddie sighs. “Yeah. Fine. Let’s talk,” he replies curtly. He pushes himself up slowly, ignoring Barry’s outstretched hand. Finally standing, he leans against the door and grits his teeth as a fresh wave of pain washes over him.

“Eddie…”

"I'm fine.” He downs the rest of the water and slowly makes his way into the kitchen, holding his side as he does. Depositing the glass into the sink, Eddie makes his way back in and heads towards the living room, once again ignoring Barry’s gesture for help and sliding down onto the couch carefully.

Barry frowns but follows Eddie. He sits on the other end of the couch, fiddling with one of his rings. “I’m sorry I lied,” he says. “I should have told you the truth from the beginning.”

“Barry, you don’t have to apologize for that,” Eddie says. “I know why you couldn’t tell me, I think.”

“No I—” Barry sighs. “I do. I need to explain what happened that night.”

Eddie furrows his brow. “Cisco said—”

“I don’t give a shit what Cisco said,” Barry replies in exasperation. “Look, I just. I don’t care anymore, okay? Whatever happens if I tell you, it won’t be worse than losing you.”

Eddie considers for a moment before finally nodding. “Fine. Tell me," he says.

Barry nods and looks down to where his hands twist together. “I, well, the night that we were supposed to have dinner, I um… we did. I came over.”

“What?”

Barry swallows hard and looks up at Eddie again. “I came over for dinner. You made spaghetti. Your grandma’s recipe. And after we ate you handed me a key to your place. You said you weren’t asking me to move in, but you wanted me to know that wherever we were, I’d always have a home with you. That I was stuck with you, as long as I’d have you. It was the best night of my life.”

Eddie frowns in confusion. That sounds exactly like the plan he’d had for that night before Barry blew him off. “I don’t understand,” he says.

“Just… wait. You will,” Barry continues. “The next morning you got a call that the coroner was found dead. Security footage showed Mark and you found a voice recorder on the coroner. He recorded the whole conversation.”

“Conversation?” Eddie asks. “What did Mark want?”

“You,” Barry replies. “And Joe.” When Eddie furrows his brow and starts to ask another question, Barry sighs. “It was the anniversary of the day his brother died,” he says. “Mark got drunk, decided he wanted to find the people responsible.”

“Me and Joe,” Eddie mumbles. “Okay, what happened next?” When Barry remains silent, Eddie reaches forward and takes his hands carefully. “Bear… tell me.”

"Mardon killed you, Eddie."

"...What?"

Barry takes a hand back and runs it through his hair, big tears welling up in his eyes and threatening to spill over. “The task force went after him. You went after him. And you found him, but it was a trap,” he says weakly. “He took you hostage. There was a struggle and you reached for your gun but..." Barry swipes at his eyes and takes a shaky breath before continuing. "I couldn't get to you in time and he... There wasn't time to get you to a hospital, not without making it worse. I held you in my arms, Eddie. I watched you take your last breaths. I can still feel your blood on my hands and I—I—“

“Barry…” Eddie scoots closer carefully and squeezes Barry’s hands, holds one up to his own heart. "I'm fine though. Look at me, hey. I'm okay. I’m alive. None of that happened.”

Barry rests his hand against Eddie’s chest and frowns, curling his fingers into Eddie’s shirt slightly. ”Because I changed the timeline," he finally says. He slowly looks up at Eddie, reaching his hand up to cup Eddie’s face. He lingers there for a moment and studies Eddie’s features, pulling his hand back when Eddie clears his throat. 

“Turns out it’s possible,” Barry says, dropping his hands back down to Eddie’s, squeezing them gently. “He um—Mark. He… He summoned this huge storm that created a giant wave that was going to destroy the city. Caitlin and Cisco said the only thing I could do was run, and maybe create a vacuum or something. So I left your body and I ran.” Barry pulls his hands back, going back to fiddling with the rings on his fingers. “I ran and I ran and I ran,” he says. “Faster than I ever had before. And I was thinking about you and about the night we spent together and suddenly, I was there.”

“There where?” Eddie asks.

“Back. Two nights earlier,” Barry replies. “It didn’t take long to figure out that things were happening the exact same way. And I knew I could avoid losing you if I just stopped Mark…. so I did.”

Eddie frowns. “And Cisco told you not to tell me or change anything, because you could make things worse.”

Barry nods. “I don’t care though. You died, Eddie. There’s nothing worse than that for me. And when I stopped Mark, you stayed safe.”

“But it led to me getting kidnapped, and… whatever this is,” Eddie says, gesturing between them.

“I’d rather have you alive and think I’m a liar than have you dead in my arms,” Barry replies. “I’d do the same thing a thousand times over.”

Eddie thinks in silence for a moment, the words weighing on him heavily. Maybe he thought that now, but if Barry was meant to be with Iris, as Eobard showed him, it wouldn’t mean much. Not soon, anyway.

Barry watches him carefully then reaches into his pocket. “I found this,” he says, holding up a key. “Down where he was keeping you. You really were going to give it to me, weren’t you?”

Eddie reaches up to take the key and nods, turning it over in his hand. “Yeah,” he says softly. “I was.”

“And now?”

Eddie swallows the lump in his throat, blinks back the sudden tears that cloud his vision. “We’re not dating now,” he finally says. “And even if we were, you don’t belong with me.”

Barry frowns in concern and tilts Eddie’s chin up carefully to look him in the eye. “What are you talking about?” he asks. “What did—Is this about Thawne? What did he say to you?”

“Nothing!” Eddie says, jerking his head back. “It’s what he showed me!”

Realization dawns on Barry’s face. “You saw the article.”

Eddie looks down at the key in his hands and nods. “I saw the article,” he confirms. “You saw it too?”

Barry groans and scrubs his hands over his face. “I did,” he says. “We found it in some secret lair at STAR. And you know what? It’s bullshit.”

“Barry—”

“No Eddie, it is!” Barry reaches over and tilts Eddie’s face back towards him again. “If there’s one thing that I’ve learned through all of this, it’s that the future isn’t set in stone. Iris was my friend for a long time, and we’ve finally just gotten back to talking, but that doesn’t mean I want to date her again. It doesn’t mean that I think about coming home to her at the end of the day, or think about her when I first wake up.” Slowly, Barry covers Eddie’s hands with his own, furrowing his brow slightly. “I don’t care what the article says. I don’t want any of that with her.”

“You should,” Eddie mumbles.

“According to who, that psycho that kidnapped you?” Barry retorts. “Even if that’s what I ‘should’ want, I don’t. I don’t love her, Eddie. I love you.”

Eddie’s eyes snap up to meet Barry’s. “You…. do?”

Barry nods once. “Yeah,” he says. “I do. But I’m not just saying it to get you to date me again, or anything. I just—I need you to know that you’re important, Eddie. You’re important to me and you’re important to this city, and you are worth so much more than what some creep in yellow says might happen someday in the future.”

With a soft smile, Eddie leans in and rests his forehead against Barry’s. “I love you too,” he breathes.

Barry gives a small smile. They rest like that for a moment before Barry leans back and wipes at his eyes. “Are… Will we be okay?” he asks.

Eddie looks down to the key in his hand again and sighs as he thinks about the possibilities. He should say no, tell Barry he belongs with Iris, distance himself as much as possible to spare themselves the hurt. But as he looks back up at Barry and sees those beautiful eyes watching him, he knows he can’t do any of that. So Eddie reaches out and presses the key into Barry’s hand.

“Wherever we find ourselves, you’ll always have a home with me.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, do I need to keep apologizing for being late? You've come to expect it from me now right???
> 
> Thanks as always for reading! If you like this story, make sure to leave a kudos/comment, and check me out on social media! @ Starkidmack on Twitter and Tumblr! And the Pinterest board here: https://www.pinterest.com/pipermack/dust-gold/

The sound of glass shattering pulls Eddie from sleep and he shoots up, wincing as pain shoots through his ribcage. He looks over to where Barry had been sleeping, but the bed is empty. Eddie frowns and looks up again as he hears footsteps approaching. “…Bear?” he mumbles, slowly reaching for his end table drawer. He pulls it open but can’t find the revolver he keeps for emergencies. It’s gone too.

The footsteps draw nearer, then stop right outside the bedroom door. Suddenly, in a flash of red light, Eobard Thawne stands in front of Eddie. He barely has time to let out a yell before Thawne's hand is gripping him around the throat.

“Eddie… I’ve got you now,” Eobard says. “It’s all over. I’ve got you.” He raises his other hand and it starts vibrating, then moving towards Eddie’s chest.

Eddie whimpers and tries to get away to no avail. Eobard moves his hand slowly forward until it’s just touching Eddie’s chest and then—

Eddie wakes with a shout, scrambling to sit up, hurriedly checking his chest and looking around the room in panic. He feels a hand on his arm and he flinches and swats it away, then looks over to see Barry, hands held up in front of him. 

“You’re okay,” Barry says. “It’s all over, Eddie. You're safe. I’ve got you.” He reaches out slowly and starts rubbing small circles into Eddie’s back, his other hand reaching down to rub Eddie’s leg gently over the sheet.

“What happened?” Eddie mumbles, melting into the touch.

“You were dreaming,” Barry replies. “Having a nightmare, I guess. You were shouting.”

Eddie frowns, wincing slightly and grabbing his side in pain. “Sorry I woke you up,” he says.

“Don’t be,” Barry says. “I’ve been awake most of the night.”

“Barry…”

“No, I’m fine.” Barry waves him off. “I didn’t sleep much at all while you were missing. It’ll take some getting used to.” He leans in to kiss Eddie’s head and sighs. “Was it Thawne?” he asks.

Eddie nods. “Yeah. He uh. He was here. He was about to kill me, I think.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that,” Barry says, reaching up to run a hand through Eddie’s hair soothingly. “I’m here to protect you,” he continues. “And it's not like he knows where you live.” When Eddie frowns and remains silent, Barry furrows his brow. “You don’t think he knows where you live, do you?”

Eddie shrugs. “He made a comment about my apartment downtown,” he says.

Barry’s eyes go wide. “And you didn’t say anything?”

“What would I have said?” Eddie asks in exasperation. "Where would I have gone? He knows about STAR, he knows about your place and mine, he could be watching any of us. Or our families, for that matter!”

“Hey, hey…” Barry ruffles Eddie’s hair then drops his hand to the small of Eddie’s back. “Eddie, listen to me. Nobody is going to hurt you. Not if I can help it. I’ll do everything I can to protect you. Okay?”

Eddie frowns but nods as he leans into Barry’s side. “I don’t think I could go back to sleep if I tried,” Eddie mumbles.

“Yeah…” Barry replies. They’re silent for a few moments, just sitting, wrapped in each other’s embrace, when Eddie’s phone starts buzzing from the end table. “God, is there like, a setting on your phone to always ring when we’re having a moment?” he laments. “It’s three in the morning, who’s calling you?”

Eddie reaches for his phone, frowning when he sees his mother’s picture light up the screen. He accepts the call and motions for Barry to be quiet as he answers. “Mom?” he asks. “What’s going on?”

“Edward! Oh thank god!” comes her panicked voice. “We—I know you’re undercover but I don’t know who else—Oh my god, she’s gone! I don’t— She’s just—”

“Mom, mom… calm down,” Eddie says, sitting up more. “What’s going on?”

“Your sister! Elizabeth is gone!”

“What?!” Eddie stumbles out of bed and quickly starts looking for clothes to put on, trying to keep the phone balanced between his ear and shoulder. “What happened? Where’d she go?!”

“I don’t know!” Edith cries. “We heard a crash and Elizabeth screamed and when we got to her room, there was a flash of light and then the room was empty!”

“Oh my god…” Eddie stops in his tracks and nearly drops the phone. “What color?” he asks.

“Wha—”

“The light! What color was it?!”

“Red,” Edith replies. “But I don’t know—”

“Christ…” Eddie drops back down onto the edge of the bed, one pant leg on and his shirt half buttoned. He feels Barry’s hand on his shoulder and sighs heavily. How could this be happening? Had Thawne really known where his family was the whole time? Was Ellie about to go through the same hell he did?

“Listen to me,” Eddie begins again. “You and dad need to call the rest of the girls, get everybody together and go to STAR Labs.”

“Wait, what? We need to call the police!”

“I am the police, mother! Do as I say, call Erica and tell her to bring the kids too. And Emily, and the twins. I’ll have escorts bring them in and I’ll meet you there, okay?”

“What’s going on, son?”

Eddie furrows his brow. His mother sounds so… scared. Like he’s never heard her before. “Look, I’ll explain it all soon. I will. Just go, please. You’ll be safe. And I’ll find Ellie.”

His mom sighs but finally agrees and hangs up, and Eddie hangs his head.

“Eddie? What happened?” Barry asks.

He just shakes his head. “Thawne kidnapped Ellie,” he says. He finally looks up to see Barry watching him with an unreadable expression. “If he hurts my sister, Barry…”

“He won’t.”

“You saw what he did to me, Bear, what he’s capable of.” Eddie rubs the back of his neck and sets his jaw. “If he hurts her, I’ll kill him myself.”

***

After much protesting, Eddie finally agrees to let Barry help him re-wrap his ribs, then they quickly finish getting dressed. “I’m going to have to speed you there,” Barry warns. “Is that okay?”

Eddie nods. “I’ve still got that security detail out front. But at this point I don’t care. I have to get my sister.”

Barry wraps an arm around Eddie tightly. “Alright. Then hold on detective.”

“To you, always,” Eddie replies with a half-hearted smile and a soft kiss.

Barry grins and takes off, and in a matter of seconds they arrive inside STAR Labs. When they stop, Barry looks down at Eddie. “You okay?” he asks.

Eddie nods slowly, taking a few deep breaths until the vertigo subsides. The head injury definitely doesn’t help. “I’m good,” he finally says. “C’mon. We need to call Caitlin and Cisco and get them here to help.”

“Get who here?”

Eddie and Barry both yelp in surprise and jump around to see Cisco watching them, a mug in one hand and a microwave burrito in the other. “Dudes, calm down,” he says, sipping from his cup. “What’s going on?”

“Why are you here so late?” Barry asks.

“I… was working late, I’ve got a few... projects I want to finish,” Cisco says slowly, narrowing his eyes. Any other day, Eddie would have asked Cisco what he was lying about, but he didn’t care now. “And anyway, why are you two here so late?”

“Thawne has one of my sisters,” Eddie says. “We need to find him, and we need to stop him. For good.”

Cisco frowns. “Gotcha. I’ll call Cait. You got a plan?”

“I… might have something, actually,” Barry says. “If we can lure him here, Ol—uh, the Arrow… gave me something I think can help.”

Cisco raises an eyebrow, and Eddie’s expression is one of shock. “He just gave you a thing?” Cisco asks. “That sounds uncharacteristic.”

“I use ‘gave’ lightly,” Barry says with a shrug.

Cisco’s jaw falls open and he nearly drops his burrito. “You stole from the Arrow?”

“He’s not gonna miss it,” Barry says, waving his hand.

Cisco eyes Barry warily. “Whatever you say man, your funeral.” He sips from his coffee and nods down the hallway. “You wanna run the building first, make sure she’s not where Eddie was?” He suggests.

Barry nods and disappears in a flash of light, returning in a split second. “She’s not here,” he says with a scowl. “You guys go. Call Snow and start looking for Ellie. I’ll get set up.”

He turns to leave but Eddie grabs his hand. “Bear…”

Barry turns back and gives Eddie a half grin. “I love you,” he says. “I won’t be too far.”

Eddie tugs him close and kisses him slowly, trying not to consider if this is the last time he’ll get to. When they break apart, Eddie nods. “Love you,” he mumbles. “Be careful, superhero.”

“I will, detective.” Barry winks then takes off again in a flash of light, leaving Cisco and Eddie alone.

“That was sweet,” Cisco deadpans over his mug. “Real happy for you two. Now can we get a move on?”

Eddie just sighs and turns to look at the other man. “Yeah, come on.” He leads the way towards the main lab, looking back over his shoulder at Cisco as they walk. “My family are all on their way and I want to make sure we can protect them here.”

Cisco frowns. “Yikes, okay. We’ll put them in the bunker when they get here then.”

“Bunker?”

Cisco shrugs. “We could survive nuclear fallout here. We had to be prepared for anything,” he says. “Well… almost anything. Except for the dark matter of course but that was—”

“Cisco…”

“Right, sorry, let’s go.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An option is presented

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I tried to stick to a schedule and I managed for most of it and that's what matters.
> 
> Also I'm sorry I'm late again...
> 
> ANYWAY thanks so much for sticking around and reading!! Please kudos/comment/like/share if you like this fic! Also, check out my Twitter (esp my Pinned Tweet) and my Tumblr @ starkidmack, and the Pinterest board at https://www.pinterest.com/pipermack/dust-gold/ ! 
> 
> And hey, thanks <3

After calling Caitlin, Cisco sets to work looking for any sight of Thawne and Ellie on traffic and security cameras, and Eddie reaches out to Joe and Patty to gather his sisters. Eddie’s parents show up after another few minutes and he ushers them into the bunker, the rest of his family arriving shortly after. After they’re all gathered, Eddie finally steps into the room and he’s met with a cacophony of questions from his family.

“Hey, okay, listen!” He says, gesturing them to be quiet. “Listen, I can’t... there’s a lot going on right now, and I can’t fully explain everything, but we’re working to find Ellie as quick as possible. You all just need to hunker down here until we know we’re all safe.”

“Who’s we?” His father asks. Eric’s face is lined with concern. “What the hell is going on here, Edward?”

“Me and Eloise have midterms tomorrow, Ed,” Evelyn complains. Her twin nods and pouts sleepily.

“I—I know, and I’m sorry I just...” Eddie sighs and scrubs his hands over his face. “It’s... complicated. There’s a meta after, well, after the Flash.”

“What does that have to do with us?” Erica asks. “Or the kids?”

Eddie looks at his oldest sister and then to the young boy sleeping in her arms. “This meta... he’s related to us,” he finally says. “And I know this is going to sound crazy, but he’s from the future. He’s come back in time to destroy the Flash and he’s kidnapped Ellie as insurance, I think.”

“Or collateral,” his father says quietly.

His family is silent then, until Emily finally speaks up. “How long do we need to be here?” She asks.

Eddie sighs again. “Until we get Ellie back and this meta is no longer a threat.” He finally spares a glance to his mother who has been uncharacteristically silent. “Mom...”

“Just... get her back,” Edith finally says. “But be safe, please.”

He just nods and walks out of the bunker, securing the door being him. As soon as he does, light flashes and Barry stands in front of him, clad in his disguise. “How are they?” He asks.

“The Thawnes are a tough people,” Eddie replies. “How are you?”

Barry shrugs. “I’m tough people too.”

Eddie steps forward and pulls Barry into a hug, ignoring the twinge of pain in his ribs. When Barry presses his face into Eddie’s shoulder, he kisses the side of Barry’s head. “Thank you,” Eddie mumbles. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d be bored without me,” Barry mumbles.

Eddie laughs and pulled back, rubbing his hand up Barry’s back. “It’s true, I would be,” he says. “Are we ready to go with your plan?”

Barry nods. “All that’s left is waiting.”

***

Eddie watches Thawne carefully and the man stares back, a sinister smirk on his face. “I must say, utilizing Ray Palmer’s nanotechnology was brilliant,” he says. “Maybe you’re not as useless as the family history says, uncle Eddie.”

Eddie narrows his eyes. “It was Barry’s plan,” he says, “and don’t call me that.”

In truth, Barry’s plan really had been brilliant. He taunted Thawne and lured him back to STAR where he’d been waiting with a setup of nanite-embedded arrows, courtesy of _The_ Arrow. The nanites, Barry explained, would slow down a speedster enough to keep them from healing from the arrow wound. When Eddie had asked if Barry knew from experience, Barry waved him off. Eddie figured he’d have some words for The Arrow if they ever got through this.

Eobard laughs then, and the sound sends chills up Eddie’s spine. “Of course it was mister Allen, that makes it even more impressive. I should have known he’d find an ally in Oliver Queen. He’ll have even more powerful allies in the future, too, if he continues on this path.”

Eddie sets his jaw. “I don’t know what Oliver Queen has to do with this,” he says, “but you need to tell me where my sister is. Now.”

“Or what?” Eobard challenges. “I could spend an eternity in here, and you’d never find her. There is no threat, no torture that you could subject me to that would yield the results you so desperately need.”

There’s a flash of light then, and Barry stands next to Eddie instantly, still clad in his costume. His hand goes to Eddie’s back. “Where is she, Thawne?” He demands. "Tell us or I'll--"

Eobard sneers. “As I told my uncle here, there is nothing you can do to me. There is, however, something you can do _for_ me.”

Eddie feels his heart stop, and Barry’s hand tenses on his back. “Why would I ever do anything for you?”

Thawne laughs again, and the sound is sickening. Eddie knows he’ll spend the rest of his life trying to forget it. “I’ll not only give you the girl, I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted,” he says darkly. “All in exchange for one little task.”

Eddie stiffens, and firmly says “No,” at the same time that Barry steps forward and asks calmly, “What is it?”

Eobard smirks. “You’re going to open this door, and you’re going to send me home.”

Barry scoffs at that. “No, there’s no way,” he says. 

“There is a way. And I know you’ll do it,” Eobard continues. “Listen to me very carefully, Flash. If you do this, you’ll be able to save your precious Ellie, and you’ll gain something even more valuable too.” 

“Which is?” Barry asks suspiciously.

“You’ll be able to save your parents.”

Barry scoffs again, and Eddie frowns. “That’s not possible,” says Barry, but Eddie can hear the slight trepidation, the uncertainty.

“You’ve time travelled once before. Recently too,” Thawne points out. “If you do this again, and to my instruction, you’ll be able to open a wormhole. A portal.”

“A portal?” Eddie asks cautiously.

“Yes, a portal. Do try to keep up, uncle,” Thawne responds, rolling his eyes. “You’ll be able to go wherever you want in time, Barry. You travel back to, say, the night your parents died—”

“At your hands,” Eddie interjects.

Eobard ignores him and continues. “You go wherever you want, and the wormhole stays open for as long as you’re there. Long enough to send me home.”

“This was your plan all along wasn’t it?” Eddie asks. “If... If Barry does this, you’ll tell us where Ellie is?”

Eobard doesn’t respond. He instead just stares intently at Barry, the sinister smirk unwavering. Barry sets his jaw. “No deal,” he says firmly.

“Wait, Bear...” Eddie says, turning to look at Barry. “Shouldn’t we at least—”

“It’s a trap,” Barry says, not taking his eyes off Thawne. “It would never be this easy.”

Eobard rolls his eyes again. “It is that easy. I have nothing else to lose, do I? I’ll tell you where the girl is and I’ll give you everything you need to build a jumpship to send me home. All you have to do is run.”

Barry is silent for a moment, the tension palpable. But before Eddie can offer another thought on the matter, Barry speeds them away. A split second later, they’re standing in the middle of the main lab.

“You’re not going to, right?” Cisco asks, looking up from his monitor.

“Are you kidding, he has to!” Iris chimes in. “He could save his parents!

“And throw off the entire timeline,” Caitlin points out. “It’s too risky.”

Patty nods. “Caitlin’s right,” she says. “All this time stuff... Who knows what could happen?”

Eddie looks over at the team and frowns. “He would get to have his parents,” he says. “Cait, wouldn’t you give anything to have your fiancé back?” She frowns and looks away, and Eddie looks to Patty. “What about your dad? If you could go back in time and stop Mardon, wouldn’t you?”

“Eddie...” Barry sighs. He pulls his mask off and sets it aside. “I’d give anything to see them again, but they’re right. I could change everything.”

Eddie nods. “I know,” he says. “You could change everything. You could grow up with your parents! No foster homes, no juvie. You could be happy, Bear.”

“I’m happy now, Eddie!” Barry sighs and glances towards the team, realizing they still have an audience. They seem to take the hint and start filing out, and Barry looks back to Eddie, wrapping his arms around himself. “I love you, and I want to find a way to save your sister. But if I do this... if I change anything... I could lose you for good, Eddie. What if we never meet? What if we can’t be together?”

Eddie reaches up and takes Barry’s face in his hands. “No power in the universe, in any timeline, can keep me from loving you.” He pulls Barry’s face to his and kisses him deeply, pouring every ounce of emotion he can muster into it — every fear about being wrong, every hope for Barry’s new future, every promise he intends to keep. He feels Barry’s hands grip his sides, and when they pull away, he rests their foreheads together. “You have to try.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's go time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're ALMOST THERE O.O
> 
> Thanks so much for everyone who has read and shared the fic so far, and for all the kudos and comments! I really appreciate all of you!!! As usual, check me out on Twitter and Tumblr @ starkidmack, and check out the D&G Pinterest board! https://www.pinterest.com/pipermack/dust-gold/

At Thawne’s instructions, a reluctant Cisco gets to work on the jumpship and Caitlin starts recreating the conditions Barry needs to open the wormhole. They also finally let Eddie’s family out of the bunker, though none of them had wanted to leave until Ellie had been rescued.

When Eddie sees his twin sisters walking out of the main lab area though, he stops them.

“Where are you two going?” He asks. “Are you sure you don’t want a ride back to campus? I thought you had exams.”

“Look,” Evelyn starts, “We can either bust ass to get back to campus in time to try and make our exam in theoretical physics while our baby sister is missing, or we can stay here and watch that cute guy build an actual temporal manipulation device and write a makeup paper on it later.” 

Eddie can’t help but laugh some, and then winces when his ribs flare in pain. “Fine, go,” he says. “Don’t touch anything.”

She grins and walks off, Eloise following behind. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t actually touch,” she mumbles.

Eddie watches them go then wraps an arm around himself in pain. The sooner this is all over, the sooner he can focus on resting. He only gets a small reprieve though when someone walks up and squeezes his shoulder.

“So when do we get to meet him?” Emily asks.

Eddie’s heart jumps into his throat. This is not a conversation he is prepared for, especially not with his parents in the same room. He glances to where they sit in the corner, unaware of their children. “Him? What him?” Eddie asks a little too enthusiastically. He shifts his focus back to his sister. She can’t know, right? Right.

“Oh come on, Ellie told us everything,” Erica adds, sliding up on his other side.

They know. Fuck. “What, um, what all did she tell you exactly?” Eddie stammers.

Erica raises an eyebrow. “About your work with the Flash...?”

“Yeah, how you’ve been working with him for months and haven’t said a word!” Emily accuses.

Erica nods. “She said you’ve helped save a lot of people with him.”

Eddie breathes a sigh of relief and smiles. They don’t know after all. “Uh, yeah. I guess so,” he says.

“So? When can we meet him?” Emily asks again.

Eddie laughs. “Guys, he’s busy okay? Saving Ellie, preserving time, all of that. He can’t just—“

As if on cue, Barry zips in and starts rummaging through Cisco’s desk, mumbling to himself. “Stupid piece of... why is his desk always so...”

Eddie clears his throat and Barry looks up, eyes widening slightly when he sees Eddie’s sisters. “Oh, um, detective Thawne.” Barry drops the pen in his hand and walks over. “Sorry, Cisco asked me to come look for a tool on his desk but...” he shrugs.

Eddie just chuckles. “It’s okay,” he says, then gestures to the girls. “Um, Flash, these are two of my sisters. Erica and Emily.”

Barry grins. “Well, I wish we could meet under better circumstances,” he says, casting a glance at Eddie. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” He winks at Eddie and zips off, whirling around Cisco’s desk then disappearing out of the lab again.

“Whoa,” Emily says with a smile. “That’s pretty cool, Ed.” She squeezes his shoulder and wanders over to where their parents are sitting, and Erica nudges Eddie.

“Ellie also told me about Barry,” she says quietly. Eddie snaps his head over and his eyes go wide, and Erica laughs. “Why didn’t you tell me, Bub?” she asks. “How did El even find out?”

Eddie can’t help but relax slightly at the nickname as he rolls his eyes. “I didn’t tell you because we’ve just been... figuring it out,” he says. “And Ellie only found out by accident. What did she tell you?”

“That you’re happy,” Erica says. “I hope that’s true. You know I worry about you.”

Eddie smiles. “It is true,” he replies. “He’s...” He glances to their parents briefly then back to Erica. “He’s the love of my life, Sis. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

Erica beams at her brother and she looks to their parents too. “Do they know?” She asks.

“Of course not,” Eddie says, rolling his eyes. “You remember what happened the first time I told them? I’m not revisiting that any time soon.”

“I think they’d surprise you, Ed,” Erica replies. “And who knows, maybe this Barry could help turn them around too.”

Eddie huffs. “Yeah, okay. I’ll just show up to dinner at mom and dad’s with my boyfriend, and his piercings and tattoos and makeup, and expect them to all play nice together. Okay.” He sighs as he watches them talk to Emily and feels a pang of jealousy. “It’s okay, really,” he continues. “Barry understands and once this is all over, I’ll introduce him to the rest of you. I promise.”

Erica frowns but she nods. “I guess I get it,” she says. “Just remember that no matter what our parents say, you’re the best brother any of us could ask for.”

“I’m the only brother any of you could ask for,” Eddie teases.

It’s then that the twins come running in at full speed and rush up to Eddie, each speaking about a hundred miles an hour. Their parents and Emily all look over in concern, which matches Erica’s.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Eddie says. “Girls, hey, what happened?”

“They found her!” Eloise exclaims.

Evelyn nods. “You have to go, Cisco said they’re ready.”

***

Eddie makes his way down to the entrance of the cortex where the rest of the team is. Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry all hover over a monitor, and Joe hangs back with Iris and Patty. When he walks up to them, Barry wraps his arm around his waist carefully and nods at Cisco.

“Alright, so...” Cisco starts. He taps a few buttons and the cortex opens to Thawne’s cell.

Eddie pauses. He glares at the imprisoned meta, then turns his attention to Cisco, relaxing slightly when Barry squeezes his waist gently. “You found Ellie?” He asks.

Cisco nods. He looks up at Eddie with a frown and wrings his hands together. “She’s... well, it’s complicated. She’s still here in the city, technically, but she’s not here.”

“What does that mean?”

When Cisco stays silent, Caitlin speaks up. “She’s... in the past. She’s not here... now.”

“She... what?” Eddie shakes his head. “Where? When? How the hell is that even possible?” 

Barry frowns. “She’s there, the night my parents died,” he says.

Eddie scowls at Thawne. “How did he get her back in time but he can’t get his sorry ass home?”

Thawne laughs then. “There are intricacies to time travel, and the Speed Force, that your simple mind could never understand, uncle.” He smirks at them, and it makes Eddie see red. Thawne looks at them like they’re part of some game, like he enjoys this.

He makes to step towards him when he feels Barry’s hand on his shoulder so with a sigh, Eddie just looks away. “Can someone answer my question?” He asks.

“So the past is easy, relatively speaking,” Cisco says. “If a speedster has a destination in mind, they could conceivably transport themselves there. The future... That’s a bit more complicated.”

“Few speedsters in history have been able to achieve it,” Thawne calls. “Not even Barry Allen. Yet.”

“So how did you get Ellie back in time?” Joe asks.

Thawne sighs. “The past is relatively easy,” he replies. “It requires far less effort on my end. And once I flooded that damned chair with dark matter, I was able to create a small enough breach to simply walk through without ever breaking a sweat.”

“I was right!” Cisco says. “You were using the chair as sort of a backup battery! And... you opened a wormhole with it?!”

“That’s reductive, but not inaccurate,” Thawne replies. He smirks again and rests his head back against the wall of his cell.

Cisco scowls and turns back to the monitor, quickly sending Thawne’s cell away. “We’re almost ready,” he mumbles. “And I still don’t agree with this idea.”

“I know you don’t,” Eddie says with a sigh, “but Barry needs to do this.”

Barry frowns. “I still don’t think I agree with this idea either,” he says. “Eddie, I... I’m terrified of losing you.”

“You won’t,” Eddie says with a smile. In truth, he’s as scared as Barry is, but he reminds himself that Barry deserves this happiness in his life. And, Eddie reasons, he won’t remember this timeline regardless of what happens. “Just remember,” he continues, holding his hand over Barry’s heart. “You’re my home. You and I will find each other again. I know that.”

Barry kisses Eddie’s forehead and takes a deep breath. “I guess it’s now or never, right?” Eddie nods and he watches as Barry turns to look at Thawne. “What do I do?”

Thawne leans forward and grins, cold and sinister. “You need to run faster than you ever have before,” he explains. “Faster than breaking the sound barrier. Faster than the day at the lake. Faster that what seems possible. And when you collide with the particle we release, the portal will open. It will only stay open as long as you’re there, and that’ll be long enough for me to go home.”

“Okay,” Barry says. He walks over and kisses Eddie, slow and firm, then takes his hands. “I love you so much,” he says. “I hate to think of who I would be without you in my life, and I am so thankful for everything we’ve been through together.”

Eddie takes a deep breath, doing his best to ignore the tears in his eyes that threaten to spill. “I could say the same thing about you a hundred times over,” he says. “You’re the most important person in my life and you always will be. In any timeline.” He kisses Barry again and steps back, watching as Barry turns to the group. 

Barry hugs Caitlin and kisses her cheek, then gives Cisco a big hug as well. “May the Speed Force be with you,” Cisco says with a half smile.

Barry just laughs then turns to look at Joe. “Thank you for everything you did for me,” he says. “And for trying to be the dad I needed. I know I didn’t make it easy, but I’ll get it right the second time around. I promise.

Joe smiles and pulls Barry into a hug. He mumbles something quietly that leaves both of them with wet eyes when Barry leans back and turns to Iris.

Before he can say anything, Iris nods. “I know,” she says, reaching out to squeeze Barry’s arm. “Whatever life you get, I hope it’s a good one.” She leans up and kisses his cheek then steps back.

Patty looks at Barry with a furrowed brow and nods once. “Good luck “ she says.

Barry returns the nod and turns to look at Thawne. “Let’s do this,” he says.

The team make their way back inside. Most of them heading up to the lab with Eddie’s family, but Caitlin, Cisco, and Eddie stay in the entrance to the cortex, pulling up a control panel and monitor to see inside. They watch as Thawne situates himself in the jumpship and Barry positions himself on the makeshift track, taking a starting position.

“Are you ready?” Caitlin asks into the comms.

“As I’ll ever be,” Barry calls back, giving the camera a thumbs up.

Caitlin nods. “Initiating Particle Release Countdown,” she replies. And then, an automated voice sounds throughout the lab.

“Particle release in Five.... Four... Three... Two.... One.”

And then, Barry takes off. A display pops up and it shows Barry and the particle moving around each other at unfathomable speeds until finally they collide. A great tremor shakes through STAR Labs and the blink of an eye Barry is gone. In his place hovers a blue portal.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE DID IT!!!!!!!!
> 
> Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who's read/commented/kudos'd/shared this fic, and a big thank you once again especially to ABBY (saralancelot) who helped create the AU that eventually turned into this fic and has been such an amazing beta, CHARLIE (tinyelfperson) who is pretty much always down to be an extra set of eyes to my shameless shipping garbage, AND IVY (lancesmiles) who offered to help a complete stranger with their passion project!
> 
> I'm not done with this universe by a long-shot so stick around for more Thallen goodness. And to stay up-to-date on the D&G universe, and with my other writing projects, find me on Twitter and Tumblr both at Starkidmack!
> 
> I seriously can't thank all of you enough. So I'm just gonna shut up now and let y'all get to reading. Enjoy!!

“Here’s my question,” Eddie says as they head back into the cortex. Cisco begins making final adjustments to the jump ship, and Eddie eyes the portal warily. “If the Flash is time-traveling, wouldn’t he come back to the exact same moment he left?”

Caitlin watches Cisco nervously, and Cisco shrugs. “Honestly, I’m not sure,” he says. “It’s possible there will be a few minutes of delay, especially because this is his first time doing this. On purpose.”

Eddie furrows his brow. “How will we know if anything changed?”

“I guess we won’t.” Cisco finishes his adjustments and turns to Thawne. “I can safely say that I hope we never have to see your face again,” he says. “You’ve been a real pain in my ass.”

Thawne just smiles. It’s a cold, sinister grin. “I have a feeling you and I will see more of each other in time, Vibe.” He taps a few keys and the jump ship slides closed, leaving Cisco to watch with bewilderment.

“Vibe? What does that mean?” Caitlin asks as Cisco walks back. 

Cisco just shrugs. “I had to stop asking that question.”

The three of them stand back, watching as Thawne taps away again, readying the ship for departure. But before he can make his exit, a horrifying screech comes from the portal. 

Thawne looks up in confusion just as Barry’s mask comes tumbling out of the portal. A moment later, Barry staggers out, an unconscious Ellie in his arms.

“Bear! Ellie!” Eddie calls, running forward.

“What did you do?” Thawne demands from his seat.

Eddie takes his sister, Caitlin right beside him. Concern crosses his face as he takes in her appearance, the tattered pajamas and the bruises and scratches. There’s another screech and Ellie stirs, blinking her eyes open.

“Ed?” She mumbles weakly, curling close to her brother. “I knew you were dating the Flash.”

Eddie chokes out a laugh and kisses her forehead. “Shhh, you’re safe now, kid. Come on. Go with Cait and I’ll be there in a second.” He lets her down and Caitlin steps in, wrapping her arm around the girl.

“I’ll get her inside. You deal with... that.”

Eddie glances at Caitlin with confusion then turns towards the portal again where three phantasmal, skeletal figures emerge slowly. Barry just grins at them as Eddie walks up to him . “Barry, wha—”

“Holy Patronus,” Cisco breathes.

“What did you _do_ , Flash?” Thawne demands again. He unclips his harness and steps out of the machine, backing away from the creatures slowly.

Turning to look at him, Barry shrugs nonchalantly. “I made some new friends in the past,” he says. “They seemed pretty interested when I told them you were here.” 

The three turn to Thawne, each raising a finger towards him and shrieking again. Eobard starts to vibrate like he’s about to run, but collapses in a heap instead.

“Oh yeah. Funny thing, those nanite arrows.” Barry walks forward, crouching down next to Thawne. “They hurt like a bitch, and they take forever to get out of your system.” He stands again and looks at the creatures. “We good?”

The creatures turn towards Barry in unison and stare him down in silence for a moment, then Barry nods and moves back to Eddie as the creatures soar forward. Eobard lets out a bloodcurdling scream as they pull at him, each grabbing a limb and carrying him back into the portal, the blue light disappearing behind them, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

As the portal disappears, Barry collapses into Eddie’s side, Eddie instinctually tightening his grip and kissing Barry’s head, then looking down at him. “You didn’t change anything?” He asks.

Barry shakes his head. “No, I...” he sighs. “Those things... they were waiting for me. They... Protect the Speed Force, and the timeline, from speedsters who mess with it. I could choose to save my parents and risk trapping Ellie and fracturing the timeline even more, or I could save Ellie, take down Thawne for good, and come home to you.”

Eddie frowns. “But Bear, your parents...”

Barry sighs and turns to look at Eddie properly. “I got to say goodbye to them. I never had that. And... I saved myself. My past self. And I gave him something I never had the first time around.”

“What’s that?” Eddie asks.

Barry grins and leans in to kiss Eddie softly, then relaxes into his embrace again. 

“Hope.”

***

**ONE MONTH LATER**

Eddie reaches over and takes Barry’s hand, pulling it away from where he’d been nervously running it through his hair. “Barry. It’ll be fine,” he assures him again. “They’ve already met you. They love you.”

“No, they’ve met The Flash. And _you_ love me,” Barry counters. “They haven’t met me as your boyfriend.”

Eddie turns in his seat and takes Barry’s face in his hands. “Bear. Ellie and Emily know and love you. The rest of my family will too.” He kisses Barry softly and smiles, resting their foreheads together. “You’re _The Flash_ , Barry. You’ve caught bullets in mid-air, fought a giant gorilla, and traveled through time. You can handle my family.”

Barry huffs out a chuckle and leans up to kiss Eddie again. “Have I told you I love you recently?” he mumbles

“Yes, but I like hearing it,” Eddie teases in reply. “Come on, superhero. Let’s go.”

Just as they step out of the car, Eddie and Barry’s phones both start buzzing. With a sigh they each glance at them, then share eye contact again, Barry grimacing. “Sorry…”

Eddie sighs again, knowing full well what his boyfriend is about to say. “Barry…”

“Gotta run!”


End file.
